Macao, 16-10-2016

After birdie blitz, playoff heartbreak for Lahiri in Macao

Chikka registers career-best tied third, saves Asian Tour card

It was heartbreak for India’s Anirban Lahiri as he narrowly missed out on winning his second Venetian Macao Open title after losing in the playoff to Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert on Sunday.

The reigning Asian Tour number one Lahiri (66-68-69-65) and the 27-year-old Thai Pavit (69-67-68-64), were both unrelenting in round four as they shot scores of six-under-65 and seven-under-64 respectively to tie at 16-under-268 at the Macau Golf and Country Club.

Pavit, who earned US$S198,000 for his career breakthrough, triumphed in extra-time with a birdie on the par five 18th hole after Lahiri, the 2014 champion here, found the water hazard with his second shot following an errant drive en route to a bogey. Lahiri settled for the runner-up spot for a third time in four years.

Big-hitting Pavit overturned a one-shot deficit into a three-shot lead with some hot putting, going to six-under through 13 holes and was seemingly coasting to a well-deserved victory. However, Lahiri, who looked out of contention and trailed by five at one stage, produced his best stuff coming home as he brilliantly nailed seven successive birdies to force a play-off where he subsequently gave away the title.

The 29-year-old Lahiri was disappointed that his good work in regulation play was in vain. However, his runner-up result did get him into next week’s CIMB Classic in Malaysia via the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit.

“I was happy I won the toss and I wanted to go first (in the play-off). I think I rushed into that and I was trying to lay up on the second shot but the rough was a bit thick. I didn’t even think of the hazard being there. I guess that was unfortunate to finish like that. I’m happy with the way I played the back nine but disappointed that I finished second again,” said Lahiri.

Chikkarangappa S of India returned a final round of 68 to register his career-best tied third finish on the Asian Tour. Chikka, who finished three shots behind the play-off duo at 13-under-271, improved upon his previous Asian Tour best of joint fourth place achieved earlier this year at the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open.

Chikka with four top-10s this year including three on the trot in the last three weeks, has now climbed to 30th place in the Asian Tour Order of Merit thus locking up his Tour card for 2017.

“I was hitting all over the place but I managed to hang in there. I lost some momentum on 11 again, making that bogey. I can take some positives from this. I’ve never seen a finish like that before. I know how strong Anirban is in the head. He had a bad start with some bad tee shots but the way he came back, that was amazing,” said the 23-year-old Chikkarangappa, who shared the third spot with Chinese Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang. 

Rahil Gangjee in seventh place at 10-under-274 and Rashid Khan in tied eighth at nine-under-275 were the other two Indians to finish inside the top-10.

Jyoti Randhawa at four-under-280 was tied 25th, SSP Chawrasia and Chiragh Kumar with scores of two-under-282 were both tied 34th, Shankar Das at even-par-284 was tied 46th, Khalin Joshi and Gaganjeet Bhullar with scores of two-over-286 were both in tied 57th and Arjun Atwal at 10-over-294 finished 81st.

Source: Asian Tour