Revered throughout Asia, the tiger is renowned for its strength, courage and killer instinct. In winning the Carlsberg Malaysian Open, Arjun Atwal displayed all these attributes and more as he prowled The Mines Resort & Golf Club in pursuit of his second European Tour title.
There was no escaping the tiger influence at The Mines. Two Bengal White Tigers greeted visitors to the course from their enclosure within the clubhouse while portraits of their golfing namesake, Mr Woods, adorned the walls. Tigers were everywhere and therefore it was fitting that, in Atwal, the only fully exempt Indian golfer on The European Tour, the spirit of the Indian tigers should come to life.
Twelve months previously, the 29 year old from Calcutta had made history when he became the first Indian winner on The European Tour International Schedule with his victory in the Caltex Singapore Masters.
His elevation to a new level was confirmed in Malaysia with a commanding wire-to-wire victory in the event jointly sanctioned by The European Tour and the Asian PGA Tour, his triumph all the more impressive considering Retief Goosen, the two-time Volvo Order of Merit winner, spent the week breathing down his neck.
Atwal demonstrated his prowess with a stunning opening round of nine under par 62, a score which would have beaten the course record by a stroke but for the preferred lies in operation. Two matching halves of 31 placed him on top of the leaderboard where he was joined later in the day by Sweden’s Fredrik Andersson.
Goosen emerged as Atwal’s main threat on the second day, the South African roaring into life with an outward half of seven under par 29, to take pole position on the day. A back nine of 35 earned Goosen the clubhouse lead on 12 under par 130 before play was suspended as a ferocious tropical thunderstorm hit the course.
Atwal was not fazed. Shaking off the disruption, he returned on Saturday morning to complete a second round 65 to move to 15 under par 127, the lowest 36 hole score of the season, and three strokes clear of Goosen. That had been increased to four by the end of the day before another tropical storm brought a premature end to his third round.
All this was simply the prelude to an enthralling final day. Because of the storm delays the leaders were required to play 28 holes in total, a stiff examination in the stifling heat and humidity. Goosen closed the gap to two shots within minutes of resuming his third round as Atwal dropped his first, and what was to prove his only, shots of the week when he double bogeyed the ninth.
However, when it looked like Atwal might fall prey to a Goosen charge, the Indian golfer summoned up a courageous shot, finding the green from the tee on the short par four 13th to set up an eagle two and restore his four stroke cushion. Back came Goosen with a brace of birdies to finish his third round before starting his final round with a birdie on the first. Suddenly, the gap was down to one.
Atwal, though, was not to be denied, countering every Goosen attack with a thrust of his own, always keeping his nose in front. As the enthralling contest moved into the home stretch the 13th hole proved decisive when Goosen, still only one behind, pushed his two iron tee shot into the water on his way to a bogey five. Atwal pounced on the slip, converting a birdie on the next hole to pull three strokes clear and put the outcome largely beyond doubt. A chip in for a birdie on the last, a shot that was greeted by thunderous applause from the stands and a clap from the heavens above, was merely the icing on the cake.
The fascinating duel between Atwal and Goosen tended to overshadow other affairs but Brad Kennedy, of Australia, secured his best finish on The European Tour International Schedule when he birdied the last two holes to tie Goosen in second place. This was a particularly outstanding effort by the European Challenge Tour Member who was delighted with his finish.
There was also Dean Robertson. Four years earlier the 32 year old represented Scotland in The World Cup at The Mines Resort & Golf Club. It should have been the start of a glorious spell in his career but it turned out to be the beginning of a nightmare. A mystery virus laid him low for four months and although he returned, he then went on to miss most of the 2002 season with clinical depression. However, a return to The Mines provided a fillip for the 1999 Italian Open champion and he was rewarded with fourth place.
But the week was all about Atwal. As he pounced on his second title, it was evident that the tiger had earned his stripes.
Rod Williams
