Niall Turner 12th in Maiden Asian Tour Event

Niall Turner

Niall Turner finished the final round of his first event on the Asian Tour with a three under par 69 at the SAIL Open  to secure a share of 12th place with a 6 under par total at the Delhi Golf Club - dropping only two shots - and picking up five birdies on Friday.   

Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand birdied the last hole to win his first Asian Tour title and returned a four-under-par 68 card for a four-day total of 16-under-par 272 to defeat Siddikur of Bangladesh by one stroke at the Delhi Golf Club.

India’s Ajeetesh Sandhu battled tooth-and-nail before dropping a shot on the 16th hole. He finished in third place on a 274 total while compatriot Manav Jaini finished one stroke back at the US$300,000 event co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and PGTI.

Highly rated Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines birdied the first hole but wobbled in the back nine where he returned with two bogeys and one triple bogey on 17. He closed with 76 for a 288 total to finish in tied 30th place in what is his first professional tournament.

Kiradech, 21, turned in 35 before posting birdies on holes 10, 12 and 14. He was level with Siddikur after dropping a shot on hole 16 and admitted to feeling nervous when he stepped up to sink the winning putt from three feet.

“The putt on the last was very near but my hand was shaking! I’m just happy I won. I’ve waited two years for this and I’m very proud of myself,” said Kiradech, who dropped on his knees after sinking the winning putt.

He was delighted to find the winning touch after being in contention four times last year. “I learned a lot from my last two years on the Asian Tour. I felt nervous but I told myself to stick to my game plan and concentrate on my game. That worked for me,” smiled the burly Thai, who won US$47,550.

Siddikur, the first Bangladeshi to win on the Asian Tour, was in the hunt for his second Asian Tour title but struggled with his irons as he returned with two birdies against one bogey in a round of 71.

“Overall I enjoyed my round and losing is part of the game. I’m getting better and my confidence level is still high. Kiradech played really good and deserved the win. It was his day,” said Siddikur.

He could have forced a play-off if he birdied the last hole but saw his title aspirations fade when his tee shot landed in the rough.

“The last hole is quite an easy hole and I could have forced a play-off if I birdied that hole. I only made par and that caused me the title,” he added.

Little known Sandhu, 22, who missed the halfway cut in the Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage in Thailand earlier this year, turned in 34 before adding a pair of birdies and bogeys to finish two strokes behind the champion.

He hopes his strong finish this week will spur him on to better performances this year.

“This is a good finish for me and it will be a confidence booster for my career. I gave it my all out there but the bogey on 16 spoiled my card,” said Sandhu, who honed his skills at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in the United States from 2005 to 2007.

SAIL Open Final Result

Turner Sails with Third Round 71

Siddikur

Niall Turner reached the turn in level par in round three of the SAIL Open on Thirsday, after recovering a bogey on the seventh hole with a birdie on the eighth, to sign for a third consecutive one under par round - following a second birdie on the tenth - to hold a share of 23rd place on 3 under overall.

Siddikur of Bangladesh continued his solid run in the SAIL Open after shooting a third round five-under-par 67 on Thursday and opened up a two-stroke lead going into the final round with a three-day total of 14-under-par 202 at the challenging Delhi Golf Club.

Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand closed with a 69 after a bogey on the last hole. He shared second with India’s Ajeetesh Sandhu, who posted a 68 for a 204 total in the US$300,000 event co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and PGTI.

Manav Jaini of India made the biggest move when he returned with a 64 to tie with Japanese Akinori Tani on 205 in tied fourth place.

Siddikur, the first Bangladeshi to win on the Asian Tour, birdied the fifth hole before sinking an eagle three on the eighth hole from 12 feet. He went on to mix his card with four more birdies against two bogeys to stay in contention for a second Asian Tour win.

“It was a great day and I’m happy with how I finished. I’ve been hitting it really good this week and I need to maintain that on the last day if I want to win my second Asian Tour title,” said the 25-year-old.

Since winning in the Brunei Open last season, Siddikur has been in fine form where he finished second at the 2010 Mercuries Taiwan Masters and placed fifth at the Hero Honda Indian Open, also held at the Delhi Golf Club last year.

“I’m not surprised by my consistent play. I’ve been practising a lot and it is paying off,” said Siddikur who on the Asian Development Tour on home soil earlier this year.

Kiradech was tied for the lead after 17 holes but dropped a costly bogey on the last hole after hitting a wayward drive. The rising star from Thailand still believes he has a chance of winning his maiden Asian Tour title despite being two shots off the lead.

“Apart from a few bad holes, I felt I played good golf. I sank a lot of putts. I still have a chance of winning if I can improve on my iron play,” said Kiradech, who had a chance of winning his first Asian Tour title on four occasions last year.

Little known Sandhu is hoping to make amends this week after missing the halfway cut at the Asian Tour Qualifying School in Thailand earlier this year. The 22-year-old enjoyed an illustrious career as an amateur where he trained at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in the United States from 2005 to 2007.

“My game has been solid the whole week. I played well on the first day and it has been smooth sailing from there. I’ve been solid from tee to green and my putting has been good because the greens are in excellent conditions. You are only going to miss a putt if you miss read the greens,” said Sandhu.

He was among seven Indian golfers who placed in the top-10 after the third round of the SAIL Open with rising stars Anirban Lahiri, Gaganjeet Bhullar and local hero Jyoti Randhawa, a former Asian Tour number one.

Teen sensation Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines battled to a 71 to lie in tied 15th place on a 212 total. The 16-year-old is playing in his first Asian Tour event after turning professional last week.

Leaderboard Round 3

Muskerry's Niall Turner Opens with 71

Anirban Lahiri leads on day one

Niall Turner of University Minnesota and Muskerry Golf Club carded an opening round of one under par in his first Asian Tour event  on Tuesday in New Delhi to finish in share of 24th place signing for a 71 - 5 strokes off the lead.

Anirban Lahiri led the Indian charge at the SAIL Open after shooting a sparkling opening round six-under-par 66 on Tuesday.

Lahiri’s decision to leave his driver out of the golf bag paid off tremendously as he took a one stroke lead at the challenging Delhi Golf Club.

Japanese Daisuke Maruyama put his troubles at home behind as he returned with 67 to share second place with in-form Gaganjeet Bhullar and little known Anura Rohana of Sri Lanka in the US$300,000 event co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and PGTI.

Big hitting Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand, who is searching for his maiden Asian Tour victory shared fourth place with countryman Prom Meesawat, India’s Manav Jaini, Japanese Akinori Tani and Bangladeshi Siddikur. 

Highly rated Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines made a flying start to his one week old professional career as he posted a 69, three strokes from the leader.

Lahiri said it was the first time in 11 years since he opted not to use a driver and was rewarded with five birdies and one eagle against one bogey for his best score at the Delhi Golf Club.

“I’m hitting my three wood and that’s good enough. I decided yesterday evening to take my driver out. It was partly because this golf course has narrow fairways and also because I haven’t been hitting it very well with my driver,” said the 23-year-old.

He was delighted with his strong start but admitted that he could have gone lower. “I missed about six putts inside 12 feet for birdie but I’m not complaining. I’m just happy I’m giving myself a lot of scoring opportunities,” he said.

Maruyama turned in 37 but bounced back brilliantly with six birdies in his homeward nine. The two-time Asian Tour winner together with the seven other Japanese players will be playing this week with a black ribbon pinned to their caps to honour the lives lost in the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan.

“I had a lot of time to think about playing in the SAIL Open this week and I finally decided to play. It wasn’t an easy decision to make but life in Japan is not easy now with the shortage of water and irregular electricity supply,” said the Japanese.

Thailand’s Kiradech, who started on the back nine, made the turn in 34 before adding an eagle three from four feet on the first hole. He credited his strong iron play where he found 16 greens in regulation for his good start.

“I enjoy playing here but hitting it off the tees is a real challenge. If you can keep your ball on the fairways, you will have a chance to win this week. I changed my putting from the grip to my aiming and that worked for me today,” said the burly Kiradech, who was in contention for his maiden Asian Tour victory on four occasions last year.

Playing in his first Asian Tour event as a professional, Tabuena, 16, was delighted to outshine some of the more experienced players.

“I want to go out there and try my best. It shows that I can compete with the bigger guys. I’m not expecting much but it was a good result for me today,” said Tabuena.

Tabuena earned his Asian Tour in Qualifying School earlier this year as an amateur before deciding to take his career to a new level. He said working with decorated Canadian coach Rick Gibson has helped him adapt faster to life as a professional.

“I’ve been working with Rick and that has been good because of his experience playing on the Asian Tour. There’s still three more days to go but this course suits me as I’m not a long hitter and like to keep the ball in play. I’m looking forward to the next few days,” added the Filipino.

Leading first round scores

66 - Anirban Lahiri (IND)

67 - Anura Rohana (SRI), Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND), Daisuke Maruyama (JPN)

68 - Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA), Manav Jaini (IND), Prom Meesawat (THA), Akinori Tani (JPN), Siddikur (BAN)

69 - Md. Zamal Hossain Mollah (BAN), Miguel Tabuena (PHI), Mukesh Kumar (IND), Mardan Mamat (SIN), Lam Chih Bing (SIN), Joonas Granberg (FIN), Ajeetesh Sandhu (IND), Mars Pucay (PHI)

70 - Ben Fox (USA), Ranjit Singh (IND), Panuphol Pittayarat (THA), M. Sasidaran (MAS), Sanjay Kumar (IND), Jyoti Randhawa (IND)

 

Sujjan Singh Looks to Sail Open

Sujjan Singh

Sujjian Singh of India hopes to translate his impressive form into a victory at the SAIL Open on home soil starting on Tuesday.

Singh, who earned his Asian Tour card in Qualifying School earlier this year, will feature in the US$300,000 showpiece with local star Jyoti Randhawa, a former Order of Merit champion and India’s rising star Gaganjeet Bhullar at the Delhi Golf Club.

Australia’s Marcus Both, Thai duo Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Pariya Junhasavasdikul will also be in the elite field in the tournament co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and

PGTI.

After finishing tied fifth at the Avantha Masters in India last month, Singh, who is second on the Order of Merit, is now setting his sights on winning his first Asian Tour title.

“My goal is to keep my ranking, hopefully move up in it and win on the Asian Tour. I’ve won on the Indian Tour so winning on the Asian Tour is my next goal,” said Singh.

“I think of going for a win each week but I’m more confident this week because I’m playing on a course which I’m more familiar with,” he added.

Singh started taking the game of golf seriously at the age of 21 and prior to that represented his state’s football team and was the state squash champion. Despite his late start in the game, he believes he has what it takes to take his game to new heights.

“My placing in the Avantha Masters more or less helped me secure my Asian Tour card for next season and that has allowed me to play a little bit more freely and go for a win,” said the 30-year-old.

India’s Anirban Lahiri is also looking forward to getting his season going at the SAIL Open. He is highly regarded as one of India’s rising stars but said he still has much to learn.

“It is a matter of learning and gaining more experience. I’m still young and been a professional for a few years. Ultimately when you are on the golf course, you are doing your best playing each shot at a time. I think that’s what I would like to do best and keep doing in the future,” said Anirban, who finished in 56th place on the Order of Merit last season.

Australia’s Both, who played in his first Asian Tour tournament in India in 2003, was delighted to return to the SAIL Open where he finished in tied ninth placing last year.

Both has been plying his trade in Asia for the past 10 years and has saluted the tremendous growth of the game in India.

“The golf courses here are good and the sponsors are still supporting the game. That has obviously led to the PGTI and the development of golf in India. It is fantastic to have the first two Asian Tour tournaments in India. This shows how much the game has grown here,” said the two-time Asian Tour winner.

Pariya is hoping to make amends this week after missing the cut at the SAIL Open last season. He said his game has matured more since winning his maiden Asian Tour title last season and believes good course management will be the key to a good result this week.

“The golf course is India is different compared to other golf courses I play on. The Delhi Golf Club is a very classic golf course and you need to be very patient and accurate. You need to know where to place the ball and where not to go. It will be very challenging,” said Pariya, a licensed pilot.

Sail Open Tee Times

Bhullar Ready for SAIL Open

Gaganjeet Bhullar

India’s rising star Gaganjeet Bhullar will be fired up to launch a title assault at the SAIL Open on home soil later this month.

Bhullar is enjoying a rich vein of form after winning three titles in India and one in Bangladesh since the beginning of the year and will be determined to translate the home form onto the Asian Tour at the Delhi Golf Club from March 22 to 25.

The talented Indian will be joined by decorated countryman and former Asian Tour number one Jyoti Randhawa and Sujjan Singh, who is currently second on the Order of Merit after a flying start to the new 2011 season.

India’s young guns Anirban Lahiri and Himmat Rai will also feature in the US$300,000 event co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and PGTI.

Bhullar won his maiden Asian Tour title at the 2009 Indonesia President Invitational and claimed his second title in the season-opening Asian Tour International in Thailand last year.

He credited his fast start to the season to the valuable experience of playing on the Asian Tour over the past four years. “Last year’s season-opener was just my first tournament for the year but this year, I’ve already won four tournaments so I think this year is definitely going to be better,” said Bhullar.

“I’ve got more playing opportunities now as compared to last year. All these have helped me developed into a better player which is always good if you want to be among the best,” said Bhullar, who placed 17th on the Order of Merit last season.

Singh, who earned his Asian Tour card by finishing in the top-40 of Qualifying School in Thailand, has literally booked himself full playing rights for next season after earning US$94,082 at last month’s curtain-raiser Avantha Masters on home soil.

He will now aim to better last year’s tied 21st finish in the SAIL Open.

“I’ll be concentrating on playing more on the Asian Tour and hopefully my performance at the Avantha Masters can spur me on to better things,” said Singh.

C. Muniyappa, a former forecaddie, endured a slow patch last season where he only earned US$7,344 as compared to his earnings in 2009 where he won US$223,269 highlighted by his remarkable victory in the Hero Honda Indian Open.

He will be hoping to turn the corner at the SAIL Open and make a swift return to the winner’s rostrum. “I feel that I’m ready and I hope to achieve more success on the Asian Tour this season,” he said.