Golf: Kartik Singh’s performance propels India to 8th place finish in Nomura Cup

Hai Phong (Vietnam), Oct 19 Kartik Singh rounded off the week with an even par 72 and finished tenth at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Team Championship. The teenager had an eventful round with five birdies and five bogeys and ten pars as he totalled 2-under for the week.

It was another fine performance and he has been justifying the faith reposed in him by the Indian Golf Union. India finished eighth in the team competition as Rohit (77) and Anant Singh Ahlawat (76) were both tied 25th.

Vietnam took the top honours in individual and team competition. Nguyen Anh Minh produced an inspired performance to lead Vietnam to an historic triumph in the 30th edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Team Championship.

Anh Minh also had the distinction of finishing as the low individual. Over the course of the four days at Vinpearl Hai Phong, Anh Minh lived up to his billing as the highest rated player in the 57-strong field at 84th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

With rounds of 71, 67, 71 and a closing 67, Anh Minh finished with a 12-under total of 276. He made only three bogeys all week, two on the opening day and one in round three.

In the individual standings, he ended two shots clear of second-placed Australian Declan O’Donovan, who closed with a six-under 66, the best round of the week. New Zealand’s Robby Turnbull was third on eight-under 280 followed by Japan's Taishi Moto (281) and Malaysian Anson Yeo (282).

Staving off the challenges of traditional Asia-Pacific golfing heavyweights Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand, the Vietnamese trio of Anh Minh, Le Khanh Hung and Ho Anh Huy wrote their names into the record books with an astounding victory.

Thanks to closing rounds of 67 from Anh Minh and 69 from Anh Huy, Vietnam posted a final-day team score of eight-under 136 in the event in which the best two daily scores in each three-man team are counted. Khanh Hung, whose 69 on day three proved crucial, signed off with a five-over 77 that was not needed.

With a four-day team aggregate of 20-under 556, Vietnam finished three strokes clear of Japan, the defending champions and 10-time winners of the Nomura Cup.

Source: IANS