Mukesh Kumar bags DHL Open

The Mukesh Kumar juggernaut continued to roll in the 2001-02 season of the Hero Honda Golf Tour when he won the Rs 600,000 DHL Open, his sixth title of the season, at the par-70 Bombay Presidency Golf Club, on Friday.

The Mhow-based player, nicknamed 'Marauding Mukesh', shot a level-par 70 for the third successive day and withstood a formidable challenge by Sanjay Kumar of Lucknow on the final day.

Sanjay submitted the best card of the tournament, a five-under 65, but that could only suffice for a runner-up place at four-over 284.

Mukesh aggregated two-over 282 and took home the winner's cheque of Rs 97,200. Sanjay had to be satisfied with Rs 67,200.

The 22nd leg of the Hero Honda Golf Tour was sponsored by DHL Worldwide Express.

Lucknow's Jumman came in third at 285 after a final day score of 71, while Ashok Kumar, who turned pro less than a month back, finished fourth at 286 with a similar card on the fourth day.

Yusuf Ali was fifth at 287, followed by Dinesh Kumar, Rohtas Singh (both Delhi) and Mohammed Khokhon of Kolkata were tied for the sixth place at 289.

After the third round, Mukesh had pointed towards the giant cheque and said in a jocular mood: "Write my name on it!" The words were prophetic, but it originated from the confidence of completely dominating the Tour this season.

The DHL Open proved no different. "Sanjay played very well today, and when I came on 16th, I knew I had to make a birdie on the par-5 hole to make it safe for myself. I did that and the birdie on the 18th from the bunker was a sweet bonus," said the No 1 player on the Hero Honda Golf Tour.

Mukesh began with a birdie on the first and was two-under after the fifth. But he made a hat-trick of bogies from the seventh onwards to make the turn at one-over. On the back nine, he birdied the 11th, but bogeys on the 13th and 14th put a spanner in his work. He came back the way only he could, and chipped-in for a birdie from 25 yards on the 15th to keep up with Sanjay. Birdies on the 16th and 18th sandwiched a bogey on the 17th.

Sanjay was fast off the block and looked like burning up the course after making five birdies in the first five holes. Not only did he hit the ball well, his putter was hot as well as he drained a 10-footer on the third and a 15-footer on the fifth hole. A birdie on the seventh, where he dropped a nine-footer for birdie, put him at six-under after seven holes.

However, disaster struck on the eight hole, where he went behind the greenside bunker with his tee shot and then three-putted after chipping to 10 feet.

"That double bogey took the wind out of me. It was discouraging to say the least. There was no way I could make a double bogey from there," said Sanjay, who finished second in the TNGF Open earlier this season.

On the back nine, Sanjay made a comeback with birdies on the 12th and 16th, but also had a bogey on the 17th. "With the par-5 18th coming up, I still had a chance, but my drive went into the left jungle and I could not press for a birdie from there," he added.

Sachin Nigade best among amateurs: Sachin Nigade of Pune won the amateur title ahead of Sameet Sanghrajka with a score of 302. Sanghrajka was 18 strokes behind the winner at 320.

RESULTS (after 72 holes): 282 _ Mukesh Kumar (72,70,70,70); 284 _ Sanjay Kumar (73,71,75,65); 285 _ Jumman (70,70,74,71); 286 _ Ashok Kumar (73,69,73,71); 287 _ Yusuf Ali (75,69,72,71); 289 _ Dinesh Kumar (71,72,77,69), Rohtas Singh (73,72,73,71), Mohd Khokhon (76,72,69,72); 291 _ Devendra Patel (73,74,68,76); 292 _ Shamim Khan (75,74,72,71); 293 _ Rezwan Ali (73,69,75,76)