Mukesh Kumar clinches Cochin title

Report by Anand Datla

March 07, 2015: It was terrific finish to the Cochin Masters with Mukesh Kumar having to play his very best to overcome a stiff challenge from the defending champion Shubhankar Sharma and a determined Rahil Gangjee. In the end the golfer from Mhow proved resilient enough, producing a second straight 66 to clinch the title at the CIAL Golf and Country Club. Sharma and Gangjee played well for their 66 and 68 respectively, but neither effort was enough to halt Mukesh’s march to the crown.

Kumar (71-71-66-66) made seven birdies to complete a strong finish to a campaign that alive and into contention midway through the third round. The 49 year old showed great pluck to score four birdies on the final stretch, including two straight at 16 and 17 to put the contest beyond doubt.

Sharma was defiant to the end, before relinquishing the title he won last year. The young golfer started off with birdies at the first two holes to declare his intention and kept plugging away through an error free final round. But in the end the 73 he made on Friday came back to haunt him as he settled for a tie in second with Gangjee.

The latter only needed a 68 to join Sharma in second place. He made six birdies and two bogeys to account for his score and finish at 12-under 276 for the tournament. Sharma and Gangjee finished two shy of Kumar’s benchmark of 274.

Rookie Khalin Joshi 73-67-73-66) made a purposeful statement with a terrific 6-under finish to the tournament. Joshi though will look for consistency down the road because poor course management in the first and third proved to be his undoing despite a terrific effort. The finish though was spotless as he made a bogey free 66 to finish the tournament at T4.

Anura Rohana tied with Joshi at 279 after he made a 70 in the final round. The highlight for the Lankan golfer was a 64 he made in the third round. Rohana signed off with six birdies and four bogeys to finish in T4.

Chikkarangappa was lying outside the top 10 after making an even 72 in the first two rounds, but a 69 in the third and 68 to finish the event helped nudge him into a sixth place finish.