By Rahul Banerji
Karandeep Kochhar was the best-placed Indian golfer at the rain-reduced Caltex Maekyung Open in Seoul on Sunday, 13 strokes behind the winner.
And he was down in a share of 26th place at the $1 million Asian Tour event.
Local circuit star Chanmin Jung, who is not even on the Asian Tour took victory on 16-under-par 197, six shots ahead of the field.
The big-hitting Chanmin fired a closing five-under par 66 leaving amateur Minhyuk Song and Junghwan Lee, both fellow-Koreans, well behind in an event that saw 18 being omitted thanks to a waterlogged course on the penultimate day.
Thailand’s 2022 DGC Open winner Nitithorn Thippong and Atiruj Winaicharoenchai were the top non-Koreans in the field, sharing 11th place on six-under 207 as just eight Asian Tour regulars finished in the top 20 at Namseoul Country Club.
Kochhar closed with a one-over 72 for a 54-hole total of three-under 210 (69-69-72) while Jeev Milkha Singh (71-70-71) was next best on one-under 212 and tied for 35th place,
Honey Baisoya was tied 51st with a one-over 214 (69-72-73) and Gaganjeet Bhullar took a share of 68th place on five-over 218 (72-70-78) while Shiv Kapur, Ajeetesh Sandhu, and Veer Ahlawat missed the cut.
Bhullar’s win at the Mandiri Indonesia Open last August was the last time an Indian won at an international event overseas.
The Asian Tour’s next event is the Kolon Korea Open in June before two events in the United Kingdom, the $2 million International Series England, and the inaugural $1.5 million St Andrews Bay Championship in Scotland.
Topsy-turvy
Meanwhile, Shubhankar Sharma rode a topsy-turvy performance that included a hole-in-one, an eagle and 16 birdies against 19 bogeys in 72 holes at the $3.25 million Italian Open in Rome to tied 26th place.
The Indian ace made 35 pars in all at the Marco Simone Golf Club which will also host the Ryder Cup later this year. Poland’s Adrian Meronk took the half-million plus euro winner’s cheque om 13-under 271, 12 shots ahead of Sharma.
Up next for Sharma and Manu Gandas is the $2 million Soudal Open from May 11 to 14 at Antwerp, Belgium.
Back in action
For her part, Aditi Ashok returns to the course for the $3 million Cognizant Founders Cup in Clifton, New Jersey from Thursday attempting to put that elusive first win on the LPGA against her name.
The 25-year-old from Bangalore will have been boosted by her battling second place finish at the $3 million JM Eagle LA Championship after she had finished in a three-way tie for the lead after 72 holes.
Australia’s Hannah Green thereafter prevailed over Aditi and China’s Lin Xiyu over two play-off holes but the result took the India star up to 20th in the Race to CME Globe season, the LPGA’s order of merit.
Also read: Anirban Lahiri gets seventh PGA Championship call-up
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