Mon, 03 March, 2008
New Zealand's Mark Brown clinched a three-shot victory in the Johnnie Walker Classic in India, claiming his second title in successive weeks.
The Wellington player capped a sensational run of success with a final round five-under par 67, a week after he had won his maiden international title by claiming the Asian Tour's SAIL Open, also in India.
The 33-year-old, tied second overnight a shot behind Japanese leader Taichiro Kiyota, charged through the back nine with five birdies, four of them in a row.
He took the lead on the 15th hole before sealing victory with a birdie on the 18th, lifting both arms in celebration.
Brown's triumph aggregating 18-under par 270 fetched him a winner's purse of $409,743 and the European Tour playing exemption.
"It is incredible," he said. "It is amazing to have my name there (with other winners). "I've worked extremely hard for this, it is a dream come true."
Overnight leader Kiyota, paired with Brown, led on his own and then was tied at the top with Australia's Scott Strange but both crumbled under pressure to finish tied second with Greg Chalmers of Australia.
Kiyota carded 71 while Strange (68) and Chalmers (68) could also not produce the finish, the trio aggregating 15-under par 273 at the par-72 DLF Golf and Country Club near New Delhi.
Strange's hopes evaporated after a bogey six on the final 18th hole where he hit the fairway bunker and then overshot the green and rolled past the cart path.
Britain's Graeme Storm, Swede Johan Edfors and India's Shiv Kapur were joint fifth a further shot adrift.
Brown's victory was as unexpected as that of last year's winner Anton Haig of South Africa in the event co-sanctioned by the Europe, Asia and Australasia tours.
Paired with Kiyota on the final day, Brown had an uneventful front nine where his two birdies were wiped out by two bogeys.
However, he was simply unstoppable on the return trip despite Kiyota's game crumbling in front of him, particularly his putting.
Strange's final hole misses and Kiyota's bogey five on the 17th all but secured Brown the title.
He still had a heart-stopping moment when his second shot on the 18th hole bounced on the edge of the water hazard and rolled kindly to about 15 feet off the pin. He gladly two-putted to take victory.
Fiji's three-times Major winner Vijay Singh could muster only a par round to finish tied 17th, aggregating nine under while Australian world number five Adam Scott, the favourite, shot 71 to finish tied 30th at seven-under par 281.
