European TourBrian KeoghHero Indian Open, Peter Lawrie, Gareth Maybin, Anirban Lahiri, SSP ChawrasiaComment

Lahiri wins Hero Indian Open to clinch Masters place

European TourBrian KeoghHero Indian Open, Peter Lawrie, Gareth Maybin, Anirban Lahiri, SSP ChawrasiaComment
Lahiri wins Hero Indian Open to clinch Masters place
Anirban Lahiri. Picture © Getty Images

Anirban Lahiri. Picture © Getty Images

As Anirban Lahiri won for the second time in the space of a few weeks, Peter Lawrie added another €10,631 to his tally at the Hero Indian Open as he bids to regain his European Tour card.

But with just over €60,000 in the bank, he needs another €190,000 plus to avoid the need to chase sponsors' invitations and he knows that he will almost certainly have to pull off a big performance somewhere this term.

Given the strength of the field that is being assembled for the Irish Open at Royal County Down in May, Lawrie might find it tough to emulate his win there in the 1996 Irish Amateur Close final.

Then again, given that he beat the legendary Garth McGimpsey 3 and 2 in that decider, it's clear that Lawrie is capable of great things when his confidence is on the rise.

A four over 75 proved costly for him in the final round at a windy Delhi Golf Club, where he missed more fairways and greens than he had all week.

His scrambling, which had been excellent, let him down somewhat, especially from sand as he saved par just once from five visits to greenside bunkers.

He ended the week tied for 31st on one over par, which was disappointing after previous rounds of 69, 70 and 71 left him in contention for a Top-10 finish.

Gareth Maybin share 50th on five over after a closing 72, picking up € 5,739.

In the title race it was last year's Asian Tour No 2, Anirban Lahiri, who came out on top, beating Indian compatriot SSP Chawrasia in a play-off to claim an emotional home triumph and a second European Tour title just two weeks after his maiden victory and a move to 34th in the world, clinching his Masters debut.

Lahiri, who won the Malaysian Open a fortnight ago, began the final round seven shots off the lead but a closing 69 was enough to force extra holes as overnight leader Chawrasia stumbled to a 76.

The home pair returned to the par five 18th for the play-off and with Chawrasia unable to make par after hooking his tee shot into the trees, Lahiri holed from ten feet for birdie.

Sweden's Joakim Lagergren, Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng, Sri Lanka's Mithun Perera and Australian Marcus Fraser all finished on six under, with Perera the only player to birdie the par five 18th.

Marksaeng three-putted from long range for par on the last, while Fraser held the outright lead on nine under par after 12 holes, only to double bogey the 13th and drop another shot on the 16th.

Bangladesh's Siddikur Rahman began the day two off the lead on ten and briefly led after five straight pars at the start of his round, but a ragged inward 39 cost him a shot at the title.

But the day belonged to India’s new star of world golf, who, just four months ago was at The European Tour Qualifying School and who now will make his Masters debut at Augusta in April having climbed into the top 35 of the Official World Golf Ranking.

“I’m shocked," said Lahiri, who is now second behind Danny Willett in the Race to Dubai with  €685,930 from four starts. "I really didn’t think that I will be in this position considering the way S.S.P. and Siddikur have been playing.

"I thought all of us were playing for third. This is the toughest I’ve seen Delhi Golf Club play. It was very windy and it was not the usual wind when we come here. That’s the only reason why I had a chance today.

“My heart goes out to S.S.P. and I really hope that he gets his European Tour card this year. I didn’t know what was going on until reached the ninth green. 

"I was walking up and my caddy said we have a chance. I asked him what is he talking about and he replied that S.S.P. is having a bad round. That’s when I looked at the leaderboard and I was one shot behind.

“At the start of the week, I knew that if I put in a good performance it would pretty much secure my place in The Masters. 

"I didn’t think I would win after the last three days of golf. It is fantastic. Now the whole world is opened to me. I’m really excited. This is what dreams are made of.”

Final Scores

277 A Lahiri (Ind) 73 65 70 69, S Chawrasia (Ind) 65 67 69 76,

278 J Lagergren (Swe) 65 71 73 69, P Marksaeng (Tha) 68 70 69 71, M Perera (Sri) 67 72 70 69, M Fraser (Aus) 69 70 67 72,

279 R McEvoy  (Eng) 70 67 72 70, R Wattel  (Fra) 70 74 67 68, S Rahman (Ban) 65 68 70 76,

280 P Peterson (USA) 69 68 71 72,

281 D Chopra (Swe) 70 72 65 74,

282 C Nirat (Tha) 65 71 75 71, A Otaegui  (Esp) 70 70 70 72, A Da Silva (Bra) 71 70 68 73, P Junhasavasdikul (Tha) 73 70 68 71, B Evans  (Eng) 72 70 68 72,

283 J Randhawa (Ind) 74 69 69 71, A Vongvanij (Tha) 72 72 68 71, J Parry (Eng) 70 74 69 70, S Sharma (Ind) 69 72 73 69, J Hahn (USA) 70 71 71 71, T Khrongpha (Tha) 68 74 73 68, L Weber (Fra) 68 74 72 69,

284 J Singh (Ind) 72 72 68 72, C Pigem (Esp) 70 72 72 70, M Korhonen (Fin) 68 72 72 72, M Jaini (Ind) 73 69 71 71, V Riu  (Fra) 71 72 71 70, R Khan  (Ind) 71 72 71 70, A Velasco (Esp) 71 71 74 68,

285 C Del Moral (Esp) 69 71 72 73, Peter Lawrie (Irl) 69 70 71 75, S Chikkarangappa (Ind) 69 75 68 73, A Atwal (Ind) 70 70 75 70,

286 S Walker (Eng) 72 72 72 70, M Kumar (Ind) 71 73 69 73, A Wall (Eng) 72 70 70 74, M Tullo (Chi) 72 69 73 72,

287 C Kumar (Ind) 69 74 70 74, K Kumar (Ind) 72 72 70 73, K Richardson (Aus) 67 74 70 76, N Thangaraja (Sri) 71 73 74 69, W Ormsby (Aus) 75 68 71 73, A Malik (Ind) 75 69 71 72,

288 J Knutzon (USA) 71 72 71 74, S Kjeldsen (Den) 71 71 72 74, J Scrivener (Aus) 72 72 72 72, M Jiménez (Esp) 70 71 71 76, A Groom (Aus) 74 69 71 74,

289 Gareth Maybin (Nir) 72 70 75 72, O Chouhan (Ind) 71 73 73 72,

290 J Janewattananond (Tha) 68 74 73 75, P Pittayarat (Tha) 72 71 72 75, P Meesawat  (Tha) 71 71 72 76, J Campillo (Esp) 71 73 72 74, C Lloyd (Eng) 74 70 68 78, J Palmer (Eng) 70 71 69 80,

291 M Mamat (Sin) 73 71 72 75, S Soderberg (Swe) 72 71 74 74, J Roos (RSA) 70 69 72 80, M Orrin (Eng) 71 72 70 78, N Holman  (Aus) 71 73 73 74,

292 M Tabuena (Phi) 72 72 71 77, K Pratt (Aus) 75 69 68 80, D Chia (Mas) 68 76 71 77, A Cheema (Ind) 72 70 71 79,

293 C Paisley  (Eng) 75 68 78 72,

294 S Kapur (Ind) 73 69 73 79,

** R Lee (Can) 65 75 75 RT.