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Tied at playoff, Kochhar and Lahiri’s duel moves to Monday
There was confusion over a one-stroke penalty imposed on Kochhar as the chief referee earlier gave a decision in favour of the Chandigarh golfer, which was later reversed
Like the previous two editions of the Jeev Milkha Singh Invitational presented by TAKE Sports, the third edition too witnessed a high voltage play off. The duel between Former Asia number one Anirban Lahiri and local favourite Karandeep Kochhar was extended to Monday, a first in PGTI history, due to fading light. So, the third extra hole of the playoff resumes tomorrow morning.
After Kochhar and Lahiri ended the regulation 72 holes with matching totals of 11-under-277, the game was pushed into the playoff with both tied after the second hole when fading light led to the postponement.
Kochhar, who began the week with a four-over-76, made a grand comeback with four-under-68 while Lahiri stayed the course with a three-under-69.
At the end of regulation play, Kochhar incurred a one-stroke penalty for accidentally causing the ball to move on the 17th hole. There some confusion over a penalty as the chief referee gave a decision in favour of Kochhar, which was later reversed. Kochhar even registered a verbal protest on the issue.
The Chandigarh lad, playing on his home course, thus joined seven-time international winner Lahiri in a playoff to decide the winner.
In regulation play, Kochhar, the winner of PGTI’s last event at the same venue in November, was on the button with his short game as he collected birdies with 10 to 20 feet conversions on the fourth, eighth and 11th.
Kochhar also chipped in for birdie on the 15th and landed his bunker shots within six and four feet for birdies on the second and 16th hole. On the 17th, his ball landed in the right rough before he accidentally caused it to move, thus resulting in a double bogey.
Lahiri on the other hand was not having it easy on the front-nine as he dropped two bogeys in exchange for a birdie. But Lahiri’s round was back on track with tap-in birdies on the 13th and 16th and a 15-feet birdie conversion on the 15th. The two-time winner on the European Tour then picked up another birdie on the 17th thanks to a good drive.
Lahiri, who started the day tied third, two off the lead, sank a tricky 12-footer to birdie at the first playoff hole even as Kochhar fired a magnificent approach for a tap-in birdie there.
With both players in a deadlock and light fading, the match was then extended.
“My chipping, putting and wedge play was top-class today. It was great to fight my way back into the tournament after a poor start in round one. I feel I got better each day. I was obviously disappointed about the one-shot penalty I had to incur. But I’ve put it behind me and am looking forward to finishing it well tomorrow,” said Kochhar.
“I just had no momentum going on the front-nine today. I was trying to be patient and finally hit my stride from the 13th but was still unable to apply pressure on Karandeep. I’m happy to see how Karandeep has recovered so well after his slow start in the tournament. I’m now looking forward to the contest with him tomorrow,” said Lahiri.
Gurugram golfer Manu Gandas produced the day’s best score of 66 to take joint third place with Patna’s Aman Raj (70) at 10-under-278.
Chandigarh’s Akshay Sharma, the leader in the second and third rounds, ended the week tied fifth at eight-under-280 after his last round of 74. Gurugram’s Veer Ahlawat (72) also claimed tied fifth.
