Hua Hin (Thailand), Jan 22 (PTI) India’s Khalin Joshi and Kartik Sharma grabbed two of the 35 cards on offer at the five-round 90-hole Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage, ensuring themselves a fair number of starts on the Tour in 2023.

The Indian duo totalled 9-under for five rounds and were tied 26th at Lake View Resort and Golf Club.

It was a long test over 90 holes with more than 240 players starting out. The top 140 and ties played after the first two rounds.

A total of 13 Indians started out in the 234-player field and nine players made the first cut applied after 36 holes and then just two Indians — Joshi and Sharma — were left among the top-70 and ties.

Australian Jack Thompson graduated with first class honours after winning the Final Stage by two shots over countryman John Lyras and China’s Bai Zhengkai. Thompson, a professional for just two years, closed with a five-under-par 66 for a five-round total of 22 under.

Joshi, a one-time winner on the Asian Tour at the Panasonic Open in 2018, shifted gears when it mattered the most with closing rounds of 66-67 on the fourth and fifth days of the five-day Final Stage to get a card back on to the Asian Tour.

Joshi (72-70-71-66-67) was way down in tied 64th and tied 69th places after the second and third rounds but fought back with a 66 in fourth round as he moved up to tied 40th and then had another fine 4-under 67 with six birdies against two bogeys to finish at 9-under and take a card.

Sharma, who had four rounds in the 60s and was well-placed at tied seventh, slipped on the final day. His first four rounds were 69-69-68-66 but had a scare on the fifth day. He bogeyed fifth, sixth and eighth and then dropped a double bogey on 17th as he shot 74.

With the last cards being handed out at 8-under, it was a close shave for Joshi and Sharma.

Source: PTI News