Minutes earlier than the coronation of Keita Nakajima as the brand new $2.25-million Hero Indian Open winner, Veer Ahlawat completed a irritating spherical of one-under 71 with a surprising final-hole ‘eagle’ to gate-crash into the tied second spot on his dwelling course right here.
Quickly, the “nervous” Japanese signed off with an uncommon bogey-bogey-bogey end for a one-over 73 – his worst card of the week – that was ok to present him a four-shot victory on the DLF Golf and Nation Membership right here.
For the file, Nakajima’s file winning-score of 17-under 271 was price $382,500. The trio of Ahlawat, Sweden’s Sebastian Soderberg and USA’s Johannes Veerman tallied 275 and obtained $167,250 every.
After main the sphere by a whopping 9 photographs at occasions on Sunday and assuming the title was his for the asking, Nakajima performed aggressively on the back-nine. He saved a couple of pars however went on to double-bogey the 14th gap – a par-4 the place he dropped a shot in three earlier rounds – birdied the following earlier than bogey-spree.
For Nakajima, the maiden DP World Tour title got here on the eleventh look in his ‘rookie’ season on the Tour. This 23-year-old topped final yr’s Japan Golf Tour Order of Advantage. Earlier than turning skilled in 2022, Nakajima was the World’s prime beginner for 87 weeks throughout which he surpassed Jon Rahm’s file of 60 weeks.
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The triumph may increase Nakajima’s world rating from 111 to a career-high 80 – eight rungs over his earlier career-best rating earned in January 2024. Earlier than this title, his earlier greatest end this season was fourth within the Ras Al Khaimah Championship.
Any hope of an in depth end evaporated quickly on Sunday. Armed with a four-shot cushion, Nakajima birdied the primary, fourth and sixth holes to maneuver to -21. Concurrently, Nakajima’s enjoying companions Gavin Inexperienced and Romain Langasque misplaced their means.
However Soderberg and Veerman, positioned fifteenth and sixteenth after three rounds, made a cost.
Soderberg shot six birdies through the bogey-free 17 holes earlier than ending the week with a bogey for a 67. Veerman, two photographs behind Soderman earlier than reaching the 18th tee, birdied the ultimate gap and gained from the bogey from Soderberg to be joint-second earlier than Ahlawat joined them.
Main scores:
271 – Keita Nakajima (Jpn) (65, 65, 68, 73); 275 – Veer Ahlawat (69, 66, 69, 71), Sebastian Soderberg (Swe) (71, 67, 70, 67), Johannes Veerman (USA) (70, 65, 73, 67); 276 – Gavin Inexperienced (Mal) (72, 66, 64, 74), Romain Lagasque (Fra) (66, 66 70, 74), Matteo Manassero (Ita) (65, 68, 70, 73), Ko Jeong Weon (Fra) (67, 67, 69, 73).
Different Indians: 279 – Manu Gandas (73, 65, 70, 71); 280 – Karandeep Kochhar (68, 70, 73, 69); 284 – Shubhankar Sharma (70, 70, 72, 72); 288 – Aman Raj (68, 68, 74, 78); 291 – Jairaj Singh Sandhu (72, 70, 78, 71), Gaganjeet Singh Bhullar (70, 69, 80, 72); 292 – Rashid Khan (71, 69, 74, 78).