Thaindian News

New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) Professional Indian golfers are dominating the Asian Tour Order of Merit at the end of the first quarter of the 2011 season with five of them in the top-10 of the Money List.

Apart from SSP Chowrasia, who leads the list, there is Sujjan Singh in second place, Anirban Lahiri in fifth, Shiv Kapur in seventh and Manav Jaini in 10th. Of the five, the top four figure in this week’s Malaysian Open.

Two of India’s most successful golfers, Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa, besides Gaganjeet Bhullar, Gaurav Ghei and Digvijay Singh, will also tee off at the Malaysian Open.

Chowrasia maintains his stranglehold on the Order of Merit where he has a comfortable lead with earnings of $410,077. Chowrasia won the prestigious Avantha Masters on home soil in February and followed that up with a tied 12th finish at the Panasonic Open last week.

Singh sits in second place with earnings of $97,326. He came through the Asian Tour Qualifying School this year and thereafter made a major impact with a tied fifth finish at the Avantha Masters in February.

Lahiri fulfilled his potential as one of India’s rising stars when he won the Panasonic Open by defeating countryman Manav Jaini and Singaporean veteran Mardan Mamat in a three-way play-off at the Delhi Golf Club last week. The 23-year-old’s maiden international triumph pushed him up to fifth place on the list with a season haul of $57,720.

Kapur lies in seventh position with earnings of $51,538 courtesy a tied ninth finish at the Avantha Masters.

Jaini has produced two brilliant performances this season to occupy 10th place on the Order of Merit. Jaini, who claimed tied third position at the Indian Open last year, was the joint runner-up at the Panasonic Open and also secured fourth place at the SAIL Open last month.