Zai Kipgen wins Hyundai-MGC Open

Zai Kipgen snuffed out the challenge posed by some of India’s leading golfers to return his maiden win in a two-year young professional career at the Rs 550,000 Hyundai-MGC Open in Madras on Saturday.

The Delhiite’s tournament winning tally of seven-under 273 earned him the winner’s cheque of Rs 81,900. Zai carded a one-under 69 on Saturday. The tournament, the fourth leg of the 2001-02 season’s Hero Honda Golf Tour was played at the par-70, 6,667-yard Madras Gymkhana Club golf course.

Kanpur's Shiv Prakash, missed out on his second win of the season by a solitary stroke, being forced to settle at second spot with an aggregate of six-under 274. The duo of Calcutta's SSP Chowrasia and Chandigarh’s Amritinder Singh were tied-third at four-under 276, while another Calcuttan, Basad Ali was joined by Mhow’s Mukesh Kumar at joint-fifth and a tally of three-under 277. Ovenight joint-leader Rohtas Singh of Delhi and Lucknow’s Bhoop Singh were tied for the seventh position at two-under 278. Last year’s winner Rafiq Ali could manage only a tenth place finish at level-par 280.

Zai Kipgen's win is just the stuff that fairy tales are made of. In March 2000, the golfer was lucky to survive a near fatal car accident. Three months on a hospital bed with a fractured hip (the most important part of a golfer’s body, playing a vital role in a golf swing) left Zai wondering whether at all he would be able to walk let alone play golf.

"I spent three months on the hospital totally depressed and almost certain that my golfing career was over. Then after three more months of bed-rest, I resumed my golf," said Zai.

"The 2000-01 season was a very average one for me. I finished 39th on the Order of Merit and never even dreamed at that stage that I would actually win a tournament so soon in my career," he added.

"This win is fantastic. It is the perfect confidence booster and the way I look at it, it is a stepping stone for greater things," said the confident winner.

"I love this course especially the greens. Can’t wait to get back next year," he said.

"When I started my round today, I was completely focussed, positive and confident," said the Delhi Golf Club pro. His focus saw him return birdies on the 3rd, 7th and 8th on the front-nine. "At this stage my main aim was to hang on and let others come and get me if at all they were able to. I was determined not to stumble."

Stumble he did but not enough to deny himself the win. A birdie on the 14th and four-under at that stage was followed by a double bogey on the following hole. "My ball got plugged in the left rough and I went on to miss a five feet putt," said the 22-year old. Dropping another shot on the 17th notwithstanding, Zai pared the final hole to win.

The Hero Honda Golf Tour is proving to be lucky for Shiv Prakash. One win at the Coimbatore at the Cotton City Open, two tied-fifth finishes at The Hindu Open, Chennai and the Hero Honda Open, Bangalore and now a second place finish at the Hyundai-MGC Open. An outstanding record, especially for a 41-year old. But Shiv Prakash is still a dissatisfied man.

"I had a fine chance today, one stroke. This is really disappointing. However, Zai played very well. He deserves to win," was what Shiv Prakash had to say.

Shiv started the day with three parred holes before dropping a shot on the 4th. "I was not too bothered. Knew I would make up for it," he said.

He did make up with a birdie on the 7th but a bogey on the 8th placed him at one-over at the halfway stage. Zai was way ahead at this stage. But I knew I just had to hang in there."

hiv Prakash didn’t hang in. He went on a rampage. Birdies on the 10th, 12th, 13th and 14th played their part in his day’s score of three-under 67.

"Zai’s double bogey and bogey brought things really close but I was one birdie short," said the current leader of the Order of Merit who took home a cheque of Rs 61,600 for his effort.

Amritinder Singh looked like he would walk over the rest of the field with an opening day 64. However, he has suffered with his putting all week thereafter. Today, the Chandigarh golfer birdied the 1st, 12th and 14th while he dropped one shot each on the 4th and 6th and two on the 17th in his one-over 71. SSP Chowrasia who shot to fame in 1999 when he finished joint runner-up at the Indian Open, had birdies on the 7th, 8th, 14th and 16th and bogeys on the 10th and 15th. Chowrasia returned with a two-under 68 for the day. Both Amritinder and Chowrasia earned identical cheques of Rs 31,350 each.

Meiyappan wins amateur title: Gurunath Meiyappan aided by a one-over 71, carded his second straight amateur win on the Hero Honda Golf Tour with a tally of 12-over 292. One stroke behind was Yudhvir at 293.

SCORES (after 72 holes): 273_Zai Kipgen(65,70,69,69); 274_Shiv Prakash(68,66,73,67); 276_SSP Chowrasia(66,70,72,68), Amritinder Singh(64,72,69,71); 277_Basasd Ali(69,69,72,67), Mukesh Kumar(67,67,71,72); 278_Bhoop Singh(69,69,74,66), Rohtas Singh(67,69,68,74); 280_Rafiq Ali(70,72,70,68); 282_Rahil Gangjee(68,74,74,66), Feroz Ali(69,68,73,72); 284_Binod Pandey(70,74,74,66), Vijay Kumar(69,73,74,68), Ali Sher(73,71,71,69), Mohd. Maqbool(75,68,70,71), Sanjay Kumar(74,69,70,71).

Amateurs:
292_Gurunath Meiyappan(74,73,74,71); 293_CV Yudhvir(74,75,70,74)