Rafiq Ali wins Ford-MGC Open

Displaying tremendous powers of conviction, Rafiq Ali of Calcutta won the Rs 500,000 Ford-MGC Open 2000, which concluded at the par-70, 6667-yard Madras Gymkhana Club golf course, on Saturday.

Rafiq returned a level-par 70 card on the final day to finish with four-under 276 after four rounds. His elder brother and overnight leader Feroz could not have chosen a worse day for his four-over 74 round. That pushed him one stroke behind Harmeet Kahlon of Chandigarh to third place at two-under 278.

Kahlon's 69 was made in heart-breaking circumstances and he would have won his first title as a pro, but for a bogey-bogey finish. But that was still good enough to give him the runner-up position ahead of Feroz. The victory was worth Rs 81,000 for Rafiq, while Kahlon earned a cheque of Rs 56,000.

Mukesh Kumar, Player of the Year award winner last season, could not finish in top-10 and was placed tid for 17th place at 11-over 291, while rookie golfer Rahul Ganapathy, the reigning All-India Amateur champion, essayed another strong finish and ended in joint 13th place along with Sanjay Kumar and Amish Jaitha, winner of this year's Q-School tournament.

Rafiq had forecast his victory on day two after a sterling round of four-under 66. "I am sure I will win the tournament," he had said then.

On Saturday, he lived up to his promise and delivered the goods when it mattered most. He had a decent start and birdies on the seventh and eighth holes saw him making the turn at two-under. On his back nine, Rafiq missed a three-footer for par on the 14th hole for his first bogey and then dropped another shot on the very next hole.

On the other hand, Kahlon was in superb form and was on a roll after sinking a 25-footer birdie putt on his very first hole. In fact, after making successive bogies on the third and fourth holes, Kahlon's putter gathered heat as the round progressed and he sank two more 25-footers and later a brilliant putt from 40 feet for a birdie on the 12th hole. At this stage, he was three-under for the day and leading at five-under for the tournament.

As the leadergroup approached the 18th, both Rafiq and Kahlon were tied for lead at four-under after Kahlon made a bogey on the 17th. On the 18th, Rafiq's drive landed in thick round but he came out brilliantly with a rolled seven-iron shot and then two-putted for a par. Kahlon found even greater trouble and after hitting the rough with his drive, he hit his second shot further into the rough and then reached the greenside bunker before finishing with a bogey and handed over the title to Rafiq.

"I am elated that I lived up to my words. There was not much pressure on me and I was extremely confident," said Rafiq after the victory.

"The last two holes did me in," said Kahlon. "I was confident all along and was looking forward to winning my first title at the home-town of my sponsors India Cements. But destiny had something else in store for me," added a dejected Kahlon.

Feroz was leading till the 12th hole before back-to-back bogies on the 13th and 14th and later on the 17th and 18th, took him completely out of contention.

Yudhvir wins amateur title: Overnight leader CV Yudhvir shot a three-over 73 on the final day to win the amateur title at ten-over 290, four strokes better than the second-placed Jaideep Patwardhan.

SCORES (after 72 holes): 276 _ Rafiq Ali (70,66,70,70); 277 _ Harmeet Kahlon (65,72,71,69); 278 _ Feroz Ali (64,69,71,74); 284 _ Basad Ali (71,67,74,72), Vishal Singh (67,70,74,73); 286 _ SSP Chowrasia (70,70,72,74), Ali Sher (68,67,75,76); 287 _ Digvijay Singh (68,75,72,72); 288 _ Manohar Dike (72,70,71,75), Indrajit Bhalotia (69,70,74,75), Rohtas Singh (71,73,67,77), Mohd.Islam (68,70,74,76); 289 _ Rahul Ganapathy (73,70,75,71), Amish Jaitha (70,75,71,73); Sanjay Kumar (71,74,71,73);

Amateurs: 290 _ CV Yudhvir (73,70,74,73); 294 _ J Patwardhan (72,72,75,75)