Ghei's hopes washed in 3rd place finish in Macau Open; Mann tied 9th

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Macau, May 20 (UNI) Luck and unkind weather combined together to rob overnight leader Gaurav Ghei from lifting his second successive Asian Tour title in the rain-affected third and final round of 3,00,000-dollar Macau Open here today.

Ghei was two shots clear of the chasing pack on 11-under-par through 11 holes of his third round when heavy rain at Macau Golf and Country Club forced the suspension of play yesterday.

The in-form golfer eventually finished third with a third round score of four-under 67 to aggregate 11-under 202, just a single stroke behind Chinese Taipei veteran Lu Wen-teh, who sensationally claimed the 10th Macau Open title after edging Australian Richard Moir in a nerve-jangling play-off Inclement rain and 'Lady Luck' abondoned Ghei, who was eyeing back-to-back wins after last month's Pine Valley Beijing Open victory.

After reeling off as many as four birdies without dropping a single shot yesterday, Ghei bagan the day with a bogey on the 12th hole and could only pick up a single birdie on the last hole.

A disappointed Ghei said,''The waiting does disrupt a little.

However much you try to get into a rhythm, you sit around for five or six hours in the morning, it's tough to get off straight away and especially tough with a difficult first shot of the day. But that's the way it is.

''After that bogey on 12, I hit a lot of solid golf shots.

I hit every green after that and missed birdie on 15 which I misread. Sometimes, it's a matter of inches, winning or losing events.'' Following unrelenting rain since Saturday, organisers reduced the Macau Open into a 54-hole affair.

Compatriot Gurbaaz Mann slipped from his tied sixth spot but still managed to finish a creditable tied ninth with a seven-under 206. He carded a final round score of one-under 70.

The other Indians in the fray, Digvijay Singh also managed a worthy tied 14th spot finish with a five-under 66 to aggregate six-under 207, while Rahil Gangjee and Arjun Singh was tied 26th with identical scores of four-under 209s.

Nineteen-year-old young gun Gaganjeet Bhullar aggregated two-under 211 to end up tied 45th.

The 44-year-old Lu completed the round with six-under-par 65 and then birdied the par five 18th hole three times to triumph in sudden-death.

Big-hitting Moir forced extra time with two late birdies for a 69 but fell short of a maiden Asian Tour title when he could only par the third extra hole.

UNI