Building on his two-shot lead at the end of Day 3, Eugenio Chacarra claimed the DP World India Championship title by two shots at the Delhi Golf Club on Sunday. The Spanish golfer played 25 holes on a marathon final day after rain disrupted the tournament schedule. It was Chacarra’s third DP World Tour title of the season.
Chacarra finished at 21-under 267 after a closing round of two-under 70. New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier took the second spot at 19-under after rallying to cut Chacarra’s lead from six shots to two. The Spaniard came up clutch to seal his fourth DP World Tour title overall.
The triumph also saw Chacarra upstage American Patrick Reed at the top of the season-long Race to Dubai standings, solidifying his bid for the season-ending crown.
The 26-year-old began the fourth and final round with a five-shot advantage after carding a seven-under 63 when the third round was completed on Sunday morning. He had moved to 14-under during the unfinished third round on Saturday before the weather-related delays compelled a shuffling of the schedule.
Chacarra stretched his lead to six shots early in the final round with birdies at the first and third holes. But a bogey at the sixth, and a determined challenge from playing partner Angel Hidalgo, kept the contest alive. He made crucial par saves at the ninth and 10th holes before picking up a birdie at the 11th to maintain control. Hillier then surged on the back nine, applying pressure with a strong finish that included a birdie at the 18th.
With his advantage down to two shots, Chacarra produced a vital recovery at the 16th after finding trouble off the tee, saving par to deny Hillier a further opportunity to close the gap. He parred the final two holes to complete the win. “Sometimes you have to win with your B-game. You cannot always play your A-game. I managed the course and the pressure well enough to get the job done,” he said later.
Lahiri best Indian
Meanwhile, Anirban Lahiri finished as the best Indian tied at 23rd place. Lahiri carded a four-under 68 in the final round to finish at eight-under 280, while Yuvraj Sandhu was the next best Indian at tied 34th with a total of five-under. He also carded 68 in the final round. Saptak Talwar totalled one-under 287 for a shared 55th place, thus topping the PGTI Order of Merit to secure a DP World Tour card for next season.
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Anirban said, “I played reasonably well overall, although I hit more loose shots than I would have liked. Playing 20 holes bogey-free today, in six-under, makes me feel better. But it still wasn’t the performance I’d hoped for, and I know I can do much better.”
(With PTI inputs)
