NEW DELHI: Khalin Joshi finally got the monkey off his back. After three Top-10 finishes this season, Joshi, who has twice before finished runner-up at Asian Tour events, ended his wait for a maiden triumph with a win at the eighth edition of the Panasonic Open India.
On Sunday, roaring back from two early bogeys at the testing Delhi Golf Club, the 26-year-old Bengaluru pro bounced back with six birdies, including a birdie-birdie finish as he had four birdies in the last five holes.
Joshi became the fifth Indian to win an Asian Tour title in 2018 after Shubhankar Sharma (Maybank Championships), Rahil Gangjee (Panasonic Open Japan), Gaganjeet Bhullar (Fiji International), Viraj Madappa (Take Solutions Masters) and now Joshi. In between Gangjee also won the Louis Philippe Cup on the Asian Development Tour. Joshi also became the seventh Indian winner in eight editions of the Panasonic Open India.
As Joshi equalled 2017 champion Shiv Kapur’s best winning score of 17-under to emerge champion, Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh (69) was second, his third runner-up finish at Panasonic Open and fifth Top-10 at the event in last five starts.
Ajeetesh Sandhu (70), T-2 last year here, had one unlucky bounce on the 14th, which ended in a bogey and he Tied-3rd at 14-under with Suradit Yongcharoenchai (69). Aman Raj, 23, who still does not have full playing rights on the Asian Tour, finished sole fifth, which was his best finish on the Asian Tour, bettering his T-16 at the same event last year.
Indians once again had a great week with six finishers in the Top-14 and eight in the Top-16.
Joshi, 26, said, “I have no words honestly. It’s a huge monkey off my back. I think I played really well…kept my nerves and played really solid coming in. The last four holes were the key for me. Like all night I was thinking about the 16th hole tee shot because that tee shot has haunted me for a while now.”
On how he handled the two early bogeys, he added, “Starting off with two bogeys, I don’t know if it was nerves but just poor decision making I guess. But I still knew that there was a lot of golf to be played. I was playing well and it was just a matter of time. You know the birdie I made on eighth gave me a lot of confidence that I am not very far away and I got to keep sticking to my game plan, I got to keep playing aggressive. You know like that’s all I did. Then again I hit the driver on 18th and I played very aggressive and that’s what payed off.”
He smiled and said, “I called up my friend Shubhankar, with whom I speak everyday and he was thrilled. My friends have been winning like Shubhankar, Rahil and others, so it was great to win like them.”
Teenaged Kshitij Naveed Kaul, 17, got his pro career off to a great start as he shot 68 in the final round to tie for sixth with Jazz Janewattananond (68) and Matt Stieger (69).
Veteran Mukesh Kumar (68) and M Dharma (71) were T-10, while Karandeep Kochhar (68) and Sachin Baisoya (73) were T-15th.
