Ashok walks away with title, Shamim wilts

Disappointment often gets you talking. For one who has to be goaded into baring his thoughts, it was surprising when Shamim Khan walked up and gave vent to the storm brewing within. “Throughout the week, I spoke of how my putting had held firm. Look, what happened today, the short putts refused to go in. The title may have gone but the experience has left me wiser,” he said and whirled around to make a departure as dramatic as the entry.

Coming into the final day of the PGTI Tour Championship, Shamim was aware the three-stroke lead wasn't beyond Ashok Kumar, given his fondness for the Classic Golf Resort. The latter had scorched the open fairways with his long hitting in 2004 and set a course record of 25-under that stood till early this year.

Yet, the diminutive Delhi golfer stayed confident as he had two solid props to lean on — his putting skills and mental strength. Sadly, both gave way on Saturday.

Shamim made no attempt to hide the shortcomings. “I play well in the initial rounds as the cushion of an extra day plays at the back of the mind. It is the pressure on the final day that I need to cope with.” The capitulation probably explains the trait, which has seen him pull short of the post four times (before this event) this season.

An error-prone Shamim in full bloom, Ashok wasn't required to do anything spectacular. Out of practice for over a month and not in the best frame of mind due to his mother's illness, Ashok settled for what came naturally — striking the ball long and hard. The ploy paid off and though his card bore a Spartan look, save the birdie on the 3rd and eagle on the 12th, keeping it simple and flawless made him richer by Rs 12,93200 and gave a third spot on the Order of Merit, which was won by Anirban Lahiri.

There was drama throughout. After the tumult on the front nine, which saw Shamim drop shots four times, Ashok eagled his second shot from about 70 yards to go one-up on the 12th. Despite the stutter, Shamim was far from finished. Making birdies on the 12th and 15th meant the two landed on the final hole tied at 15-under.

Coping with disobedient putters, it was a test of who could make it comply while keeping his nerve. With both men playing out of the bunker, a playoff loomed large. But “a mother blessing her son from the hospital bed” tilted things in Ashok’s favour, and a par followed.