Shiv Prakash sets course on fire

Shiv Prakash, the fiesty of veteran from Kanpur, whipped up his short game to a frenzy on the par-72 Aravalli Golf Club course as he broke the course record on the third day with a nine-under 63 card and snatched the lead from Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia in the Rs 600,000 Tiger Sports Marketing Open, on Saturday.

Shiv Prakash's nine-under 63 bettered the existing course record of Mukesh Kumar, incidentally made during the third round of the TSM Open last season, by one stroke. A blinding blitz of 11 birdies ensured a three-round tally of 19-under 197 for Shiv Prakash, which gave him a three-stroke lead over Chowrasia. The Calcuttan shot four-under 68, but that only took him to 16-under 200 after 54 holes.

The rest of the field was left far behind by the marauding duo. Gaurav Ghei and defending champion Mukesh Kumar were tied for the third place at nine-under 207, while there was a four-way tie for the fifth place at 208 between Rafiq Ali, Basad Ali (both Calcutta), Rohtas Singh and Dinesh Kumar (both Delhi). Shamim Khan and Vijay Kumar followed them at 209 and 210 respectively.

Apart from the motivation of bagging his first title of the season on the final day, the four-day aggregate record on the Wills Sport Indian Golf Tour (by Mukesh Kumar in 1999 TSM Open) also begs to be broken by Shiv Prakash on Sunday. The 39-year-old scripted his best-ever round began with a birdie but made the first of his two bogies on the very next hole. Back-to-back birdies on the third and fourth were followed by two pars before Shiv Prakash released an avalanche of birdies.

Starting from the seventh hole, he made birdies on each and every hole till the 12th, before the spell was broken on the 13th, which indeed proved unlucky for Shiv Prakash as he made his second bogey there. He then made further birdies on the 16th and 17th to finish the bravura round.

"Everything just clicked for me today. Those six straight birdies is the best run I have ever had in my career," said the man who is currently ranked second in the Wills Sport Golf Tour Order of Merit.

When an ecstatic Shiv was asked after the round to describe his birdies, he replied with his tongue firmly in his cheek: "Forget the birdies. Let me tell you about the pars today!!"

However, one man who is hell-bent on making sure that it ain't over yet for Shiv Prakash was Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia. The Calcuttan made a bogey on the second hole and was one-over till the fifth. Birdies on the sixth, eighth and ninth saw him making the turn at two-under. On the back nine, he made a birdie on the 12th but negated the advantage on the very next hole. Birdies on the 16th and 17th saw him submit a four-under 68 card.

"What can I tell you about my game. I think Shiv Prakash played the most amazing round I have ever seen. But I am looking forward to the fight when it resumes on the morrow," said the humble 1999 Wills Indian Open runner-up after the round.

Ghei, still looking for his first victory of the season, carded an eagle on the par-4 fifth hole where he chipped in his 31-yard wedge shot. On the back nine, he made birdies on the 13th, 16th and 18th on a bogey-free day. "I missed innumerable small birdie putts," said Ghei.

Mukesh, who had as many as five bogies in a none-too-impressive one-under 71 card, nevertheless took heart from Shiv Prakash's performance. "I think I can still defend my title tomorrow. All I need to do is make 15 birdies!!" said the last season's Player of the Year.

SCORES (after 54 holes): 197 _ Shiv Prakash (69,65,63); 200 _ SSP Chowrasia (66,66,68); 207 _ Gaurav Ghei (71,69,67), Mukesh Kumar (69,67,71); 208 _ Rafiq Ali (72,70,66), Rohtas Singh (72,69,67), Basad Ali (68,71,69), Dinesh Kumar (69,69,70); 209 _ Shamim Khan (71,68,70); 210 _ Vijay Kumar (65,72,73); 211 _ Mohammed Islam (72,69,70); 212 _ KPS Sekhon (71,76,65), Amit Dube (74,71,67); 213 _ Feroz Ali (74,70,69)