India’s golfing year ends on bright note
There were birdies as well as bogeys for India’s ‘Big Three’ on the international scene in 2004, which also saw emergence of a new breed in youngsters like Rahil Gangjee and Ashok Kumar.
Jyoti Randhawa, Arjun Atwal and Jeev Milkha Singh may not have enjoyed great success but they ensured once again that India continued to stir the consciousness of the world.
The highlight of the year was Randhawa breaking his title drought since September 2003 with a victory in the season-ending Volvo Masters in Kuala Lumpur.
Order of merit
When the 32-year-old pro sank a 15-foot birdie on the second playoff hole, he not only pocketed $99,000 but also leapfrogged to the second place in the Asian Order of Merit after just seven events.
If the year ended on a bright note, the start was no let-down either with unheralded rookie Rahil Gangjee winning his first Asian Tour title after holding his nerve to clinch the inaugural Volkswagen Masters in Beijing, China, in a sudden-death play-off.
The 25-year-old showed remarkable poise at Pine Valley Golf Club to emerge victorious after a pulsating final round, which saw at least seven players in with a chance of winning the $300,000 event.
It was indeed a remarkable win for the youngster who had turned pro in 2001 after establishing himself as the top amateur of the country.