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India's Chowrasia wins Avantha Masters (Updated) Posted: 20 Feb 2011 05:13 AM PST NEW DELHI (AP) - Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia of India endured a nervous one-hour wait to win his second professional tournament after setting the clubhouse target of 15-under 273 at the Avantha Masters at the DLF Golf and Country Club Sunday. Chowrasia finished the joint Euro-Asian tour event a shot clear of England's Robert Coles, who failed to convert several chances to win over the closing holes, missing one putt too many to finish second. US Open runner-up Gregory Havret of France claimed third with a 13-under 275 after a closing 68. First-round leader Robert-Jan Derksen of the Netherlands was fourth after shooting a final-round 69 for a 12-under 276. Overnight leader Pablo Larrazabal of Spain shot 72 and ended in a tie for fifth with India's Sujjan Singh at 11 under. The victory ensures that Chowrasia is exempt through 2013. "It is a dream come true. I knew I was playing well but I did not think about winning, though at the back of my mind I knew I had done it before," said Chowrasia, who added that he will now adjust his schedule and play as much as possible in Europe. "I thought I had things pretty much under control after the front nine and then at 17 under after 15 it seemed fine. I made the mistake off the tee on 16th and ended with a double. Still when Coles missed the birdie putt on 15th and again 17th, I thought I would go into a play off. I went to the range and hit a few balls. The roar from the 18th green made me realize something had happened and then people ran towards the range to congratulate me. It seemed a replay of 2008." The 32-year-old Chowrasia's sizzling final-round 5-under 67 was spoiled only by a double bogey on the 16th just when he seemed to be running away with the title. He had been 7 under for the day and 17 under for the tournament at the 16th tee, but managed to keep his nerve to par the last two to finish on 273. Chowrasia had seven birdies and one double bogey on the day. The double bogey at the par three 16th left the door open for Coles, who missed two golden birdie opportunities in the closing holes before taking four shots to get down from the edge of the green at the last. Coles had seemed to be setting up a perfect chase. He hit a solid approach shot to within eight feet on the 15th for a birdie that would have put him one ahead. But he missed. He then failed to convert an even better opportunity at the penultimate hole, where he missed a four-footer. Coming down the par five last, Coles still looked to be in command as he hit a perfect drive and left his second in greenside rough. However, on a difficult downhill lie he hit his chip 20 feet past, then overdid what could have been a tournament-winning putt. Then he missed the eight-foot return putt, handing victory to Chowrasia. "The ball was really far below my feet and a bit of grass in between it and it was just a really awkward shot," Coles said of his third shot at the 18th. "I really needed to get underneath to get it up in the air as soon as I could but the ground was rock hard and it just kind of flew on me a bit. Then I got over the putt and I was still thinking I could make it and win the tournament, but I just hit it so hard and it flew out of the middle of the putter and then I obviously missed the one coming back." "It is obviously disappointing but I don't feel too bad right now talking to you but I will probably feel a lot worse tomorrow when it sinks in. I did have a great chance to win." |
Tseng wins LPGA Thailand by five shots (Updated) Posted: 20 Feb 2011 04:07 AM PST PATTAYA, Thailand (AP): Top-ranked Yani Tseng of Taiwan earned her third tournament win in three weeks Sunday, shooting a 6-under 66 to pull away for a comfortable five-shot victory over Michelle Wie in the LPGA Thailand. Tseng led by one stroke over Wie and I.K. Kim of South Korea going into the final round and had the lowest score of the day with seven birdies and one bogey, for a 15-under total of 273. Wie settled for a 70 to finish second in the season-opening LPGA event, while Kim was another shot back in a tie for third with Karrie Webb. Tseng took over the No. 1 ranking after winning back-to-back Ladies European Tour events, first the Australian Open and then the Australian Ladies Masters title last weekend. "I just tried my best and I know I had lots of confidence," Tseng said about winning three weeks in a row. "But with all the great golfers out here, you never know until the last putt drops in." Kim birdied three of her first six holes to sit tied for the lead with Tseng, and was at 13 under after a birdie on the 13th. However, she made a quintuple bogey on the 17th to fall out of contention, before finishing with a birdie to secure a tie for third. Wie also put pressure on Tseng by chipping in for a birdie on the first hole and picking up two more shots on the sixth and seventh. But she didn't make another birdie the rest of the way and was already four shots behind Tseng when she bogeyed the 17th. "I feel like I played good out there today, but on the back nine I just didn't make anything," Wie said. "Yani played fantastic. She played like a rock star out there. She made every single putt and zero mistakes. Congrats to her." Webb finished with a 69, while Paula Creamer of the United States shot a 71 to drop to fifth. Tseng will have a chance for a fourth straight victory at next week's tournament in Singapore. "I have lots of confidence and I'm looking forward to next week to see if I can win," she said. "I feel very excited every week. I just focused on this week. I think to myself, last week has passed. Dont put pressure on this week. Next week is a new week and Ill enjoy it." |
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