Siddikur finishes joint 7th

Siddikur Rahman failed to retain the Hero Indian Open title after enduring a difficult final round at the Delhi Golf Club yesterday. The two-time Asian Tour winner, who was two shots off the pace overnight, finished in joint seventh position after settling for a five-over-par (76) in a dramatic final day on Sunday.

World Number 38 Anirban Lahiri, who started the day eight shots behind the overnight leader SSP Chawrasia, beat the latter in a two-way play-off to seal the 250,000-dollar winner's cheque. For Chawrasia, it was fourth time unlucky as he had previously lost against Siddikur in the same fashion in 2013 following second-place finishes in 1999 and 2006.

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Siddikur had started the day at 10-under-par (203), with only Chawrasia in front of him at 12-under-par (201) and third-placed Marcus Fraser at seven-under-par (206). The 30-year-old Bangladeshi golfer had taken a temporary one-shot lead after the front nine where he had hit just one birdie while Chawrasia had traded two bogeys and a double bogey for a birdie by then. But five bogeys in six holes at the back nine threw Siddikur out of the race, only to be somewhat redeemed by a birdie in the 18th hole, for an aggregate of five-under-par (279).

Meanwhile, Lahiri traded five birdies for only two bogeys in the fourth round to force a play-off with Chawrasia. The Delhi-born golfer then birdied the play-off 18th hole to seal the title as Chawrasia managed only a par.