Bangladesh golfer Siddikur happy with runner-up finish in Mauritius Open

Buoyed by his strong show in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, Siddikur Rahman is hopeful of receiving a boost in the world rankings to get back in the contention for a spot in the Rio Olympics.

Sports Deskbdnews24.com
Published : 16 May 2016, 02:38 PM
Updated : 16 May 2016, 02:40 PM

Siddikur missed out on a third Asian Tour title after a birdie at the final hole saw him lose to South Korean youngster Jeunghun Wang by one stroke at the Four Seasons Golf Club Anahita on Sunday.

Although the 31-year-old Bangladeshi golfer thought he was unfortunate to be pegged back in the last three holes, he admitted that he never thought he would be playing in the leader group.

"Well it was good until hole 15, but unfortunately I don’t know what happened. I had an OB (Out of Bounds) in the first shot...but I gave my best, so I leave the rest," Asian Tour website quoted Siddikur as saying.

Heading into the final round after carding 68, 72 and 69 in the first three, Siddikur had a one-shot advantage over Wang in the final holes. But a double bogey in the 16th and another in the next saw Siddikur facing the prospect of a playoff.

However, Wang held his nerve at the par-five 18th and a birdie in the final hole helped the world number 88 pip Siddikur, who managed a par to become runner-up.

"It’s part of the game. I’m really happy with my round and I believe it’s a part of the game. Maybe I’ll have something good in the future," Siddikur said.

He suffered a slump in form following an injury that saw him miss several cuts this year. The Mauritius Open was his ninth Asian Tour into the year.

"Well you know I didn’t even think I was going to be able to reach the second position. Before we came here I was really struggling with my golf. I’m really happy to get the second position."

"For the first time on the European Tour, I played in the leader group for the last two days. I will take the positives from this week."

The second-place finish lifted Siddikur to 10th in the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

He said, "Hopefully I can get back in the running for Olympics. I am looking forward to the rest of the season and hopefully I can cap a good year."

The Olympic golf competition will comprise 60 golfers for men and women competitions each.

As per the world rankings on Jul 11, a maximum of four players will be allowed from each country holding the top 15 positions, according to the International Golf Federation.

Beyond that, a maximum of two players will be eligible from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top 15.

Singaporean golfer Mardan Mamat, who is world number 367 as per the rankings on May 9, now holds the 60th entry spot in the Olympic rankings, which is generated using the world rankings.

World number 406, according to May 8 rankings, Siddikur will surely get a boost in the ladder following his success in Mauritius.

So, despite being much lower in world rankings at the moment, Siddikur still has an opportunity to earn a place in the Rio Games, which is set to begin in August.