By Rahul Banerji
Veer Ahlawat shot a closing 5 under par 66 to take a share of 13th place at the $1 million 55th Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday behind event winner David Puig of Spain.
The DLF golfer, who was the day one co-leader. set aside two indifferent rounds on days two and three to make a strong start to his Asian Tour season. Asian Development Tour graduate Yuvraj Singh Sandhu took a share of 22nd place with a closing 69.
Two-time Indian Open winner Shiv Shankar Prasad Chawrasia carded a level par 71 for a share of 46th place while Honey Baisoya and Chikkarangappa S. were further down the order.
At the top, Puig shot a second successive 9 under 62 for a tournament total of 23 under par 261 that gave him a two-shot edge over the fast-finishing Jeunghun Wang of Korea who went 10 under on Sunday.
It was a second Asian Tour win for the young Spaniard, who plays for Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs in the LIV Golf League and is currently 25th in the standings after two completed events.
Like those ahead of him on the leaderboard, Ahlawat (62-71-70-66) made the most of a low-scoring day at the Mines Resort and Golf Club course to improve his placing while Sandhu fired his third successive score in the 60s (64-67-69) after opening with a 70 on Thursday.
Tied finish
Finishing behind Puig and Jeunghun Wang were Thailand’s Denwit Boriboonsub who also came in with a 61 and John Catlin (66) of the US in a tie for third place.
As preferred lies were played no records were counted, including Denwit’s back nine of 8-under-par 28 which matched the Asian Tour record, the tour website noted.
With three slots available at July’s The Open at Royal Troon, Puig, Wang and Denwit have all qualified to play in Scotland, while Catlin missing out over his lower world ranking as compared to the Thai golfer.
Incidentally, all three The Open Championship Qualifying Series events held so far – the Joburg Open, the Australian Open and now the Malaysian Open – have been won by LIV Golf members, Dean Burmester, Joaquin Neimann and now Puig.
“It feels great, weird feeling for sure. We almost missed the cut. I was kind of playing good, but I kind of messed up. We actually finished round two good, and the weekend was just insane man,” the 22-year-old Puig was quoted as saying.
“I mean 18 birdies, no bogeys, in 36 holes was unbelievable. And getting that Open spot is super cool, I came here for that.”
The Fireballs star started Sunday three behind overnight leader Jared Du Toit from Canada but quickly moved into contention when he made the turn in five under and take share of the lead with Wang on 19-under.
Puig then took over when he made birdie on 10, and then proceeded to birdie the next two for a two-shot gap.
“I had to be careful on those last four or five holes,” he said. “Even holes before that, there is a lot of water on the back nine. You have to keep being steady because birdies can come very fast but so can big numbers. “
August company
He becomes the first Spaniard to win the tournament and it was a closer finish than at the International Series Singapore last October when he won by five shots.
Puig joins the likes of Lee Westwood, Vijay Singh, Louis Oosthuizen, and Thongchai Jaidee as winner of the event and will have his name alongside them on the Seagram Trophy.
Wang and Denwit hit career-best rounds on Sunday.
“I have not been playing well lately, so this is a really good result for me, and a great start for me. I am working on trying to repeat my old swing and that worked today,” said Wang, a three-time champion on the DP World Tour, and a winner on the Asian Tour.
“Started well on the first three holes and from there I got really confident. After that all my shots were going at the flags. I didn’t miss a single shot or putt.”
Wang actually regained his Asian Tour card at the Qualifying School last month.
Sensational run
For Denwit it was yet another stunning week of golf coming off the back of a sensational finish to 2023 when he won in three successive weeks: the Saudi Open, the Thailand Open on the All Thailand Golf Tour, and the Aramco Invitational on the ADT the week before that.
“Today was amazing golf,” said 20-year-old Denwit.
“The first nine was a bit of a struggle but then I told my caddie lets have some fun on the back nine. I was four shots back from the lead and I started holing putts from everywhere. I chipped in and everything happened.”
Puig and Denwit will be making their Open debuts while Wang has played it in 2016, when it was also staged at Royal Troon, and 2017.
The event saw 17 graduates from the Asian Tour Q School make the cut as did five players from the top-10 of last year’s ADT Order of Merit including Yuvraj Sandhu.
Next up is the $2 million International Series Oman, the first of 10 International Series events to be played this year and will see Anirban Lahiri in action at the Al Mouj Golf from February 22 to 25.
Also read: Yuvraj Singh Sandhu, Chawrasia in top 20 at Malaysian Open
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