Alstom Open: Shiv Kapur finishes T18

July 6, 2014. A terrific recovery from Shiv Kapur saw the Indian surge into the top twenty at the Alstom Open de France. Kapur rose 32 spots with a final round 1-under 70 to join a group of eight men in T18. On another high scoring day, defending champion Graeme McDowell produced a final day gem – four under 67, that saw him surge to the top and retain his title. Overnight leader Kevin Stadler squandered a four shot advantage, slumping to 76 that forced him to settle for second. Thai player Thongchai Jaidee carded a 72 to finish T2 with the American.

Down in 50th place after a third round 76, Kapur finished with an unexpected flourish to climb up the leaderboard with a steady effort on Sunday. The Indian started his round with a bogey at the first, but made two birdies before making the turn to get one under for the round.

The back nine was an up and down effort – three bogeys offset by an equal amount of birdies, which came at 10, 11 and a final flourish at the 18th. Kapur’s effort yielded the golfer €34,612 and his best finish on the European tour this season.

McDowell was so far behind on Saturday, he was likely thinking about his next port of call, rather than a run for the title. But five birdies, on a day when his fellow golfers were celebrating pars, saw the Irishman climb steadily into contention. McDowell did bogey the 18th hole, but that still left him at five under for the week, just enough to edge out Stadler and Jaidee.

Stadler looked in command at 9-under through the third round, but gave five expensive shots to the demanding course at Le Golf National to burn any hopes of clinching the title. The American was in with a chance at the 18th, but a miserable three putt denied him an opportunity to force the play off by just a single stroke.

Jaidee got off to the worst start imaginable – a hat-trick of bogeys made worse by a double bogey at the par-4 fourth hole. But the 44 year old Thai star recovered quickly to post consecutive birdies at the 8th and 9th before adding two more on the back nine to share second with Stadler.

The duo took home a cheque for €260,565 each. McDowell overcame an eight stroke deficit to soar to an improbable victory to defend a title for the first time in his career. Besides an elegant trophy, McDowell also banked a cool half a million Euros.