Brown makes it a double at JWC

BY Bruce Young | Asian Tour | 2008 Johnnie Walker Classic | Round Four | 02 Mar 2008

In what has been a remarkable turnaround in golfing fortunes, 33-year-old Mark Brown has won for the second consecutive week in New Delhi, only this time it is a victory that will ensure the New Zealander has plenty of options in his golfing future.

Brown today won the 2008 Johnnie Walker Classic at the DLF Golf & Country Club south west of New Delhi by three shots after a final round of 67, including a final nine holes of 31, saw him move past the long time leader, Taichiro Kiyota.

Often touted as one of his country’s most talented players, Brown has experienced the rollercoaster that is professional golf, having spent several years trying to consolidate his career in Asia, Canada and Australasia before finally securing a job in the real world in the early 1990’s. He took up a position with New Zealand Golf as a Development Officer for three years when, after eight or so years of trying he began to think that he might not be good enough to make it.

After returning to professional golf in mid-2006 and winning a small 72 hole event in his own country, he embarked on a campaign that would see him secure his Asian Tour status for 2007 and the rest as they say is history.

Even before this week had started, and as a result of his victory last week in the Asian Tour’s SAIL Open just a few kilometres closer to New Delhi, Brown had moved past Michael Campbell on the world rankings as New Zealand’s number two golfer. Brown’s win last week had followed a very impressive 5th place at the Indonesian Open. It might just be that when the rankings for this week are finalised that he finds himself very close to or even ahead of the current number one David Smail.

Brown staggered through the front nine today before turning it around.

“I played terrible on the front nine in fact I don’t think I hit a fairway or green and then standing on the 10th tee I said to myself ‘Let’s play a really solid nine holes’ and the birdies started falling and the rest is a dream,” he said after his round.

Kiyota, who has played the Asian Tour for the past 14 months after a fruitless three years on the Japan Golf Tour, led into the final day by one over Brown and local hero Jyoti Rhandawa and when he made the turn in 33 and led by three, he appeared to have stolen a winning break.

Like Brown however this would be a significant victory if he could pull it off and perhaps the magnitude of what it offered played on his mind. He bogeyed the 12th and 17th, the latter after a three putt from 35 feet left him two behind Brown playing the last.

Brown hit a superb drive at the last and had only a 6 iron to the par five. He had only to avoid the water and the victory was his but he put such a bad swing on his second that it appeared headed for the water guarding the front and right of the green.

“That was the worst shot I have hit since I was 14 I reckon. It was thin and out of the heel but luckily I had enough club to avoid the water,” said Brown.

Still in a daze the 33-year-old Kiwi said he would take time over the next week or so to consider his options but playing in Europe would be his priority now. Although, he was adamant that he wanted to repay the Asian Tour for the opportunity it offered him when he was on the comeback trail by playing events there also. Brown now has full access to Europe for the next three seasons.

Sharing second place with Kiyota were Australians Scott Strange and Greg Chalmers with Strange in particular perhaps unlucky not to push the winner to the limit.

West Australian, Strange, finally has full playing rights for Europe in 2008 after finishing 106th on the Order of Merit last year and had already produced several good weeks this season before this week. This will be a huge boost for the quiet and unassuming 30-year-old and he appears to be on the verge of even better things.

Strange actually took the lead briefly when he birdied the 13th, 14th and 15th but two late bogeys and Brown’s strong finish would cost him the chance of an historic victory.

Greg Chalmers is currently 12th on the Nationwide Tour money list with two top tens in four starts and played this event as it is tri-sanctioned with the Australasian and Asian Tours. His strong finishing burst today with three birdies in his last five holes will not only earn him his best pay cheque in some time but a confidence boost for his return to the Nationwide Tour later this month.

Of the other Australians Scott Barr finished 11th, Marcus Fraser 14th, Scott Laycock, Tony Carolan and Kane Webber were 17th while Unho Park and Adam Bland were the next best in 25th position.

Despite two solid opening rounds, Adam Scott fell away over the weekend with rounds of 74 and 71 to finish in a share of 30th place on 7 under alongside fellow Australians Won Joon Lee and Paul Sheehan.

The European Tour now heads to Malaysia where they this time they co sanction the Malaysian Open with the Asian Tour while for the Australasian Tour their next event will likely be in November at the HSBC Champions event.