New Delhi, 01-03-2014

Rashid Khan wins thrilling playoff to lift maiden Asian Tour title

Siddikur finishes runner-up

India’s Rashid Khan won a thrilling playoff against Md Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh at the SAIL-SBI Open 2014 presented by Incredible India Ministry of Tourism to lift his first Asian Tour title. The 23-year-old Rashid won at his home course, the Delhi Golf Club, after making birdie on the first playoff hole at the US$ 300,000 event co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and PGTI. Rashid and Siddikur had earlier ended the regulation 72 holes with matching totals of 18-under-270. Rashid’s triumph earned him an exemption on the Asian Tour till the end of 2015.

Rashid Khan’s (61-69-69-71) wire-to-wire success was all the more sweet as it saw him put behind the ghosts of his playoff loss at the SAIL-SBI Open last year at the hands of compatriot Anirban Lahiri.

Khan became the 18th Indian professional to win an international tournament after tapping in his birdie on the first playoff hole (18th) as Siddikur could only make par.

“It feels awesome. It’s my home course and winning here is special. It’s amazing,” said a jubilant Khan, who carded a final round one-under-71 that featured three birdies and two bogeys.

“I lost this event here last year. It was important and the way I started on the first day with a 61, it was an amazing week.  I don’t like playoffs. I played seven play-offs in the last 14 months and I won only three. It’s a lottery.”

The wiry Khan had trailed PGTI member Siddikur by one shot with two holes remaining in regulation play but produced a magical birdie on the 17th to draw level. Both players birdied the 18th hole under immense pressure to take the tournament into a playoff.

Khan’s aggressive approach paid off when he produced an imperious three wood approach shot from 269 yards out which landed on the apron before taking two more shots to defeat Siddikur, who missed his birdie chance from about 15 feet.

“On 17, I actually hit a bad shot, hit it right, but I don’t know how my ball pitched over the bunker and rolled to one and a half feet to the flag. I was shocked. It was really lucky,” said Khan.

“I had to be aggressive in the playoff. I had to go for it. I took out the driver and hit a good shot in the middle of the fairway and then had about 269 yards to the flag. I went with a three wood and that was one of the best shots I’ve hit,” he added.

When the third round was completed this morning, Siddikur trailed Khan by two but soon tied the Indian youngster with an opening eagle.

His hopes of a second title at the fabled Delhi course, where he won the Indian Open in November, faded as he missed his long birdie chance. “Rashid deserves the win. He’s a talented player. I saw his game and he’s a really good player,” said Siddikur, who finished fourth on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit last season.

“It was a good play-off. I played my game but maybe, I should have played driver. I used my three wood which wasn’t sufficient although I have used three wood in the first four rounds and made birdie every day. But it wasn’t the case in the playoff.”

Sweden’s Rikard Karlberg, a two-time winner in Delhi, finished third after closing with a 68, six shots from the play-off duo, while S.S.P. Chowrasia of India, Spain’s Carlos Pigem and Martin Rominger of Switzerland shared fourth place on 277.

Two-time defending champion Anirban Lahiri, who was bidding to become the first man to win three straight titles at the same tournament, closed with a disappointing 74 for tied eighth place at nine-under-279 along with Sri Lanka’s Mithun Perera (72) and countrymen Jyoti Randhawa (69) and Abhijit Singh Chadha (69).

Mr. Padamjit Sandhu, Director, PGTI, “Hearty congratulations to Rashid for his first Asian Tour win at the SAIL-SBI Open 2014. I am sure this will be a huge boost for the young Indian players looking to play on higher tours across the globe. We wish Rashid all success for the future.”

Anirban Lahiri, who beat Rashid in a playoff to win the title in 2013, said, “This would be a life-changing moment for Rashid. It was great to see him win a tough encounter on the final day. He has done well to come back strongly from the playoff loss last year.”