Lankan veteran Anura Rohana rules on Indian course

Sri Lankan veteran Anura Rohana has been coming to the Delhi Golf Club (DGC) for the last 15 years. He had been in contention a lot of times but never got a chance to lay his hands on the winner's trophy. His title drought at the course ended on Friday when he clinched `1cr BILT Open title by two strokes.

Rohana ended with a bogey on the 18th hole, but managed a three-under 69 in the final round to aggregate 14-under 274 for his fourth title on the Indian domestic tour. His maiden title at the DGC, which fetched him `16,16,500, also helped him rise to the second position in the Super Series rankings and third in the domestic tour rankings.

"I have played here (DGC) on numerous occasions and has been in contention on a lot of times, but a title always eluded me. I am happy that the long wait has finally ended. I will be off to Macau and the Philippines to play Asian Tour events and hope to carry my good form with me," said Rohana

The 41-year-old golfer finished two better than overnight leader Shankar Das, who found birdies on the first and last holes, but two bogeys at inopportune times resulted in an even-par 72.

After the top two finishers, it was local pro Manav Jaini who garnered the most attention with his bogeyfree round of six-under 66. However, his late burst could only take him to the tied third position along with another local Chiragh Kumar, who shot two-under 70, to finish four strokes behind the winner.

Like Jaini, Chandigarh's Randhir Singh Ghotra also shot 66, but could manage only a tied 13th position.

Last year's champion Rashid Khan shot 70 in the final round to be fifth outright, while Om Prakash Chouhan and Deepinder Singh Kullar carded 71 each to share the sixth position.

Rohana started the fourth round one stroke behind Das, but the Sri Lankan had emerged as the strongest contender by the 10th hole. The two started with a birdie each, but the Sri Lankan caught up with the Indian on the next hole itself with another birdie.

The Sri Lankan got sole possession of the lead when Das dropped his first shot of the day on the sixth. The Indian faltered again with another bogey on the eighth and Rohana capitalised. "Shankar's first shot on the sixth hole was the turning point of the day. He pulled his tee shot into the bushes and made a bogey, losing momentum," said Rohana.

The Lankan was four-under after seven holes after birdies on fifth and seventh, before he made his first bogey of the day on eighth. He picked up a birdie on 10th but immediately gave it back with a bogey on the next hole. A birdie on 14th was followed by a bogey on 16th.

However, with a birdie on the par-3 17th, the Sri Lankan approached the 18th hole with a four-stroke cushion. Even a closing bogey after his iron shot landed in the left bushes did not dent his chances, even though Das made a birdie on the same hole.