SSP Chowrasia missed a two-footer on the finishing hole even as the caddy boys stormed onto the 18th green to fetch the ball.  Despite the bogeys on the finishing holes and a three-over card, the Kolkata  pro emerged victorious in the Rs 800,000 NGC Open 2003, the 10th leg of the  Hero Honda Indian Golf Tour, at the Noida Golf Course in Noida on Saturday. Chowrasia finished with a total of nine-under par 279.

Ashok Kumar did try his best to catch up with the winner but the eight-stroke lead proved too much and he had to settle for a second place with a four-day total of 283. Chowrasia's fourth career title fetched him the winner's cheque of Rs 1,29,600 while the `Rookie of the year' for 2002-03 season Ashok pocketed Rs 89,600. Vijay Kumar submitted a card of two-under 70 to tie for the third place along with Vivek Bhandari and Sanjay  Kumar who finished who aggregated 289.

Chowrasia who has been putting well throughout the tournament, wasn't as lucky in the final round. With a handsome lead of eight strokes, the diminutive pro played it safe from the beginning while there was no other go  for Ashok than attack. The young pro from DLF Golf and Country Club, made  successive birdies on the opening holes, draining a 20-footer on the
second.  Chowrasia three-putted for a bogey on the fourth as the lead reduced to five strokes.

However, by the eighth where Ashok three-putted to lose a stroke, the game was almost over. Added to that he hit into the water on the 10th for yet another bogey but recovered a stroke with a birdie on the 14th. Though Chowrasia lost three strokes in the last five holes, the 25-year-old pro was  home and dry.

"I decided to play a safe game because of my lead. Going for pars, I did commit some mistakes, especially on the green. But that did not matter so much eventually," said Chowrasia who had 31 putts for the day. "I am happy to win the title but doubly happy that my game is getting better," he added.

Meanwhile the fight for the second place ended when Sanjay Kumar who was in  contention with a score of three-under played a round of four-over. "I had a  target of 67 and hence had to attack but was unsuccessful," said Ashok.

Vijay Kumar cards hole-in-one

After Jasjeet Singh had done NGC proud by carding a hole-in-one, another amateur Vijay Kumar doubled it on the last day sinking his tee shot on the par-3 10th. Only this time, Jasjeet was his  playing partner. Using a four-iron on the 180-yard hole, the ball didn't  bounce even once as it hit the stick and went in.

Gagan Champion

Gagan Verma who led the field on the opening day failed to sustain form as he clumped to tied 12th position overall with a total of 292  but did end up at the winner in the amateur section. Simarjeet Singh came in  second.

Top scores after 72 holes (Pros): 279 SSP Chowrasia (69,66,69,75); 283 Ashok  Kumar (70,69,73,71); 289 Vijay Kumar (73,70,76,70), Vivek Bhandari (71,70,75,73), Sanjay Kumar (7172,70,76); 290 Naman Dawar (73,71,73,73), Sandeep Syal (71,69,77,73); 291 Amritinder Singh (73,71,74,73), US Mundy  (73,71,73,74); 292_Zai Kipgen (75,72,71,74).

Top amateurs: 292_Gagan Verma  (67,72,78,75); 301_Simarjeet Singh (76,75,72,78); 302_Chirag Kumar (73,78,75,76).