Vijay Kumar wins maiden Asian PGA tour title

Vijay Kumar won his maiden Asian PGA tour title on Sunday when he finished two shots ahead of Canada's Rick Gibson at the $300,000 Indian Open.

Kumar, who was leading by three strokes going into the final round, fired a one-under-par 71 to finish with a 13-under total of 275 and claim the $50,000 first prize.

Gibson, who won last week's Philippine Open, finished with a two-under 70 -- including a birdie at the final hole -- but could not catch Kumar, who produced some great shots whenever he came under pressure.

The 33-year-old Indian started slowly, making pars on the first four holes, even as Gibson birdied the third to come within two shots.

They drew level when Kumar three-putted from 40 feet on the fifth hole and missed a chip-putt on the sixth for consecutive bogeys.

But Gibson fell one stroke behind on the par-four ninth when he miss a chip-putt from the fringe of the green for a bogey.

Kumar then pulled away with birdies on the 10th, where he hit a five-iron to four feet, 14th, where he sank a 13-foot putt, and 16th, where he holed from 15 feet.

"It's a dream come true for me," Kumar, who lives in the northern city of Lucknow, said.

"I was hitting the ball really well, that's always the key to my game. My putting always comes and goes."

Kumar, three times Order of Merit winner on the Indian tour, said he would now travel around the Asian tour for at least six to seven events a year.

NO SPONSOR

"I have no sponsor so I wasn't playing more events in Asia. But now I can invest some of the money I've won in myself."

India's Digvijay Singh finished third with an aggregate seven-under 281, while China's Liang Wen-Chong and Korea's Mo Joong Kyung were joint fourth on six-under 282.

Gibson, 40, said he was impressed at the calmness with which Kumar handled the pressure.

"He showed a lots of character and steel," Gibson said. "He played well just when he needed to, pulled off some great shots just when I could have had a chance."

The Canadian, who won the Asian tour's Order of Merit title in 1991 before moving to the Japanese tour between 1992 and 1998, said he was disappointed with his putting.

"I got a lot of birdie chances today, but I just couldn't convert."

He missed a four-footer on the 15th hole and a 12-footer for birdie on the 17th.

"I had no choice but to be aggressive. But after Vijay birdied 16, I knew there was hardly any chance."

Gibson is taking a five-week break from golf before starting his campaign on the Japanese tour in May.