Two Indians finish in the top 20 in Thailand

Chiang Rai, Thailand, June 29, 2008: PGTI member Arjun Singh’s (68, 69, 73, 72) tied 15th finish at the Singha Thailand PGA Championship was the best among the Indians in the field. Arjun ended the week with a tournament total of six under 282. He finished 15 strokes behind the eventual winner, Korea’s Mo Joong-kyung.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (68, 71, 74, 70) was the other Indian who finished in the top 20. Bhullar’s total of five under 283 secured tied 20th position for him.

Gaurav Ghei (73, 71, 69, 75) was tied 44th at even par 288. Harmeet Kahlon (71, 72, 75, 71) finished a further stroke behind in tied 49th.

Amandeep Johl’s (75, 70, 71, 77) overall score of five over 293 earned him tied 56th place.

Shiv and Jeev finish tied 21st at Open de France Alstom

Paris, France, June 30, 2008: Indians Shiv Kapur and Jeev Milkha Singh posted scores of 67 and 69 respectively to climb up the leaderboard in the final round of the Open de France Alstom (European Tour). The duo did well to finish tied 21st with an overall score of three under 281. Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal won the event as he finished with a total of 15 under 269.

Shiv Kapur (75, 63, 76, 67) made a huge leap from overnight tied 43rd place as a result of his four under 67 in the final round. On Sunday he made birdies on the third, fourth, sixth, 10th, 13th and a lone bogey on the closing 18th.

Jeev Milkha Singh’s (68, 74, 70, 69) final round effort of two under 69 was marked by birdies on the third, fourth, ninth, 10th, 11th, 17th, bogeys on the eighth and 15th and a double bogey on the 14th.

Jyoti Randhawa (70, 74, 81, 69) finished tied 66th at 10 over 294. In the fourth round, Randhawa knocked down four birdies and a double bogey.

Meanwhile in Grand Blanc, Michigan, overnight leader Daniel Chopra (65, 67, 68, 75) stumbled in the final round to finish tied 17th at the Buick Open (US PGA Tour). Chopra had an overall score of 13 under 275 and was six strokes adrift of the eventual winner, American Kenny Perry.

Chopra’s final round 75 included two birdies and five bogeys.

CHOPRA FINISHES IN TIED 17TH IN US

June 30: Overnight leader Daniel Chopra endured a slow three-over-par 75 and ended his campaign in a tie for 17th place at the Buick Open on Sunday.

Chopra, a former Asian Tour regular, enjoyed a two stroke lead on Saturday before two birdies against five bogeys in the final round blew his chances of his second title on the US PGA Tour.

With a 13-under-par 275 total, Chopra finished a stroke ahead of Korea's Charlie Wi who posted a 75 and claimed joint 25th spot.

American Kenny Perry took the title after a 66 for a 269 total.

At the French Open, India's Shiv Kapur posted a strong five-under-par 67 and finished in a tie for 21st place. His 281 total was matched by compatriot Jeev Milkha Singh who carded a 69.

Australia's Scott Barr produced a 71 and was among those who claimed joint 30th place while Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee recorded a 69 and ended his run in a tie for 36th spot.

Spain's Pablo Larrazabal finished at the top of the pack after a 67 for a 269 total.

MO MAKES HIS MOVE ON ORDER OF MERIT

Sentosa, June 30: Korea’s Mo Joong-kyung never doubted his ability to win again as he ended a 12-year drought by lifting the Singha Thailand PGA Championship on Sunday.

Mo was left speechless having claimed his second title in 12 years which he believes was a result of hard work and self belief.

“This is a very special moment for me. First time I won in Guam was in the second year of my professional career. That win got me going and winning again after 12 years is very special,” said Mo, who won the 1996 Guam Open.

The win at the Santiburi Country Club Chiang Rai was the first for Mo in Thailand. He came close back in 1997 when he finished second behind Tiger Woods at the Asian Classic. Mo then shifted his focus to Japan in 1999 before returning to the Asian Tour in 2000.

A reflection of his hard work paying off was in 2004 when he enjoyed one of his best seasons chalking up five top-10 finishes. He also nailed a win on the Korean circuit in the same year. Mo credited his strong 2004 showing to strict pre-season preparations.

This year was no exception as Mo will continue to adopt a similar approach during the mid-season break on the Asian Tour in the hopes of staying in the winner’s circle.

“I’m just going to enjoy the moment but I plan to work harder on my game during the break and come out stronger.

“During the 12 years, I had a couple of chances. In 2004, I lost in a play off in Beijing and also played in the last group in Bintan. The Asian Tour players are getting better and it’s so hard to win out here. I never doubted myself. I always tell myself that if I work hard enough, it’ll come to me and this week, it came to me,” added the Korean star.

Mo has played in six events this season and missed the cut only once at the Pine Valley Beijing Open. He then recorded a 46th place finish at the Bangkok Airways Open before his winning run in Thailand which pushed him up to 29th place on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit.

“I’ve got two sons and they watched me play in Koh Samui but I didn’t play well then. It would have been nice if they were here but I’m bringing a trophy back to them.”

Filipino Juvic Pagunsan produced his second straight top-10 result when he finished second in Chiang Rai while in-form Thai Prayad Marksaeng and Australia’s David Gleeson ended their campaign in a tie for third place. Pagunsan rose to 47th spot on the money list while Prayad and Gleeson were ranked 12th and 59th respectively.

New Zealand’s Mark Brown remains on top of the rankings with earnings of US$651,093.

The Asian Tour has reached the mid-year break but there will be much at stake when the season resumes at the Selangor Masters in August.

“I’ll always try to play as many tournaments as possible. I’ve got sponsors who want me to play in Korea as well. Wining here and getting full status will change quite a few things for me,” said Mo.

Order of Merit Top-20 (Pos / Player / US$)

1. Mark BROWN (NZL) 651,093
2. Jeev Milkha SINGH (IND) 540,694
3. S.S.P. CHOWRASIA (IND) 439,930
4. Arjun ATWAL (IND) 419387
5. Scott STRANGE (AUS) 280,985
6. Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND) 256,643
7. LIN Wen-tang (TPE) 249,086
8. Kane WEBBER (AUS) 230,304
9. Taichiro KIYOTA (JPN) 217,163
10. Simon GRIFFITHS (ENG) 198,271
11. NOH Seung-yul (KOR) 186,173
12. Prayad MARKSAENG (THA) 180,922
13. Digvijay SINGH (IND) 152,781
14. Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 150,088
15. Scott HEND (AUS) 139,979
16. Scott BARR (AUS) 134,001
17. LIANG Wen-chong (CHN) 127,004
18. Shiv KAPUR (IND) 121,294
19. HWANG In-choon (KOR) 118,577
20. Gaurav GHEI (IND) 118,079

Top stars for Lalit Suri Junior Golf Championship 2008 – Northern India

New Delhi, June 30: The best of the junior talent will be on display when the second leg of the Lalit Suri Junior/Sub-Junior Golf Championship 2008 – Northern India will tee off at the challenging Army Environmental Park & Training Area (Army Golf Course), Dhaula Kuan on Tuesday.

The July 1-4 tournament will see as many as 100 top junior golfers of the country in action. It is for the first time that the Professional Golfers Association of India (PGAI) is assisting in the conduct of an IGU event.

The Lalit Suri Foundation which is instrumental in the growth and development of Junior golf in India has taken over the mantle of the umbrella sponsors for the fledging National Junior/Sub-Junior Tour. The Lalit Suri Foundation believes that there is abundant talent and interest in golf amongst the juniors and wants to provide opportunities to groom and nurture golf at this level.

The Lalit Suri Junior Golf Championships 2008 comprises of four regional tournaments – Southern India Junior (Coimbatore), Northern India Junior (New Delhi), Western India Junior (Pune) in November and Eastern India Junior & All India Junior (both in Kolkata) in December/January. These prestigious tournaments form the basis of selection of the National teams. The game has seen a tremendous growth in the recent past. The Junior Tour is acting as a feeder Tour for the amateur circuit and is able to curb the void created when a player graduates from a lower level to a higher level.

The Lalit Suri Junior Golf Championship 2008 will see player participating in four categories. Junior (Girls & Boys) in the age group between 15-17 years with handicap 9 and below will be in Class A while Class B will be in the 13-14 age bracket with handicap 12 and below. Class C and Class D will see the players from the 11-12 age group with a handicap of 18 and below and Under-10 with handicap 30 & below respectively.

The Tournament will be played over 72 holes Stroke Play for Class A, B, and C while it will be a 54-hole affair for Class D. As many as 50 per cent of the players will be eliminated when the cut will be applied after 36 holes.

The Par-72, 6499-yard Army Golf Course is one of the most challenging courses in India. Having hosted many top amateur and professional tournaments, the Army Golf Course is all set to host the Lalit Suri Junior Golf Championship. The obstacles in the form of strategically placed bunkers and trees will test the golfers in all the departments of the game.