DAVID DRYSDALE FINISHES JT SIXTH IN AVANTHA MASTERS

 Double handful - Thomas Aiken and his wife Kate with the 

               Avantha Masters Trophy.

 

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR

Greater Noida, India: Thomas Aiken continued South Africa’s dominance of The 2013 European Tour season when he collected his second title at the Avantha Masters.

Aiken became the sixth South African winner in 12 events so far this season as he held off a charge from home hero Gaganjeet Bhullar to collect the €300,000 winner’s cheque.

The 2011 Open de España champion went into the final day at Jaypee Greens Golf and Spa Resort, in Greater Noida, with a three-shot lead thanks to a ball-striking masterclass on Saturday, when he signed for a round of 62.

Scotland's David Drysdale is still seeking his first European Tour win. Having played himself into contention with three sub-70 scores, the man from the Borders could not produce another one when he needed it most. He finished with a 71 for joint sixth place on 273.
Drysdale had only three variations from par on his final scorecard - a bogey at the first, a 2 at the short seventh and a 4 at the long 15th. 

Jaypee Greens ambassador Bhullar, who birdied three of his last five holes, and China’s Liang Wen-chong, who notched a hole in one at the seventh, both launched worthy challenges. But Aiken held them off and signed off in style, holing a birdie putt from 20 feet on the final green for a five under par round of 67 and a 23 under par aggregate total.

Aiken, who dedicated his win to his wife Kate, said: “Some of the other guys played fantastic golf today. Liang really had it going on the front nine, then Gaganjeet played some unbelievable golf on the back nine. They didn’t give me any breathing space, so hats off to both of them. I had to keep concentrating right up until the second last shot, then when I found the green I could finally relax and enjoy the moment. It was the perfect end to a great week.

“Since Kate and I have arrived, the people have been great. They’re just so happy, always smiling and quick to tell a joke. We’ve met some really great people and haven’t got a bad word to say about the place. I’d love to come back and see the Taj Mahal and the other sights and sounds of this wonderful country some time.”

Bhullar took second place on 20 under par, and the Challenge Tour champion could console himself with a cheque for €200,000 which will go a long way towards securing him a full season on The European Tour for the first time next year.

He said: “I played aggressively, because I needed to make a good charge to stand a chance. I made only one mistake, on the eighth, where I missed the fairways. But that happens.

“I gave it a good shot, but Thomas was simply superb all day. And then he holed a fine birdie to finish in style, so credit to him.”

Wen-chong finished in third place on 18 under par after closing with a round of 69.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Par 288 (4x72) Yardage 7,347  

 

265 T Aiken (RSA) 67 69 62 67

268 G Bhullar (Ind) 68 69 67 64

270 L Wenchong (Chn) 66 66 69 69

271 K Aphibarnrat (Tha) 68 68 66 69

272 B Seuk-Hyun (Kor) 68 68 70 66

273 S Hend (Aus) 67 68 68 70, D Horsey (Eng) 72 68 66 67, D Drysdale (Sco) 67 67 68 71

274 T Fleetwood  (Eng) 69 65 69 71, H Rai (Ind) 70 71 68 65, V Dubuisson  (Fra) 69 68 70 67, J Quesne  (Fra) 69 66 69 70

275 K Gi-Whan (Kor) 71 70 65 69, E Grillo (Arg) 68 71 71 65, M Carlsson  (Swe) 66 73 67 69, J Granberg  (Fin) 67 67 69 72

276 P Whiteford (Sco) 68 69 71 68, C Nirat (Tha) 66 66 72 72, B Henson (USA) 69 71 67 69, A Da Silva (Bra) 70 65 72 69, P Larrazábal (Esp) 68 68 71 69, D Howell (Eng) 68 72 65 71

277 J Singh (Ind) 69 68 69 71, R Karlberg  (Swe) 67 69 69 72, C Phadungsil  (Tha) 61 74 72 70, A Sullivan (Eng) 71 68 69 69, M Kieffer (Ger) 68 68 70 71, R Gonzalez (Arg) 69 72 70 66

278 P Meesawat  (Tha) 68 73 64 73, R Gangjee (Ind) 69 66 72 71, M Baldwin (Eng) 69 70 69 70, A Lahiri (Ind) 68 69 70 71, J Randhawa (Ind) 70 70 68 70

279 S Kjeldsen (Den) 72 67 71 69, R Khan  (Ind) 67 73 73 66, M Perera (Sri) 70 70 69 70, B Ruangkit (Tha) 70 70 65 74, K Broberg (Swe) 69 71 65 74, R Jacquelin (Fra) 69 71 69 70, M Foster (Eng) 70 67 74 68, K Pratt (Aus) 71 70 70 68, C Plaphol (Tha) 66 68 76 69

280 M Jaini (Ind) 70 71 69 70, D Beck (Aus) 69 71 71 69, T Jaidee (Tha) 70 71 70 69, J Makitalo  (Fin) 67 68 69 76, M Warren (Sco) 71 69 69 71

281 L Slattery (Eng) 72 67 68 74, R Coles (Eng) 68 73 70 70, J Knutzon (USA) 71 70 72 68, M Mamat (Sin) 68 71 72 70, M Siddikur  (Ban) 73 67 68 73, M Wiegele  (Aut) 72 67 72 70, A Chadha (Ind) 66 69 74 72, S Barr (Aus) 67 72 74 68

282 P Waring  (Eng) 70 68 69 75, C Lee (Sco) 70 71 71 70, A Quiros  (Esp) 70 70 69 73, K Tannin  (Tha) 72 68 71 71, A Kumar (Ind) 68 71 70 73

283 B Wiesberger  (Aut) 70 71 74 68, V Chopra (Ind) 72 69 74 68, M Lafeber (Ned) 73 66 70 74

284 L Sung (Kor) 70 70 72 72, R Derksen (Ned) 72 69 72 71,

285 O Fisher  (Eng) 69 71 71 74

286 M Both (Aus) 72 69 70 75, M Kumar (Ind) 72 69 72 73, A Sandhu (Ind) 72 69 74 71, S Chowrasia (Ind) 68 72 74 72,

287 B Rumford (Aus) 68 69 77 73, A Que (Phi) 71 70 72 74,

288 A Rohana (Sri) 72 69 73 74

295 P Hyun-Bin (Kor) 71 70 77 77