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2007 flashback: Veteran Ghei lifts inaugural Pine Valley Beijing Open

The Asian Tour returns to China for the second staging of the Pine Valley Beijing Open from May 8-11. The event has received a huge boost this season with the title sponsor increasing the total prize fund to US$1 million and will be sanctioned by the Asian Tour, China Golf Association and Japan Golf Tour Organisation.

Last season, India’s Gaurav Ghei claimed a memorable victory to reinforce his return to form. We look back at the 2007 Pine Valley Beijing Open.

On a week when Jack Nicklaus predicted that the future of golf lies in Asia, Gaurav Ghei bridged the generations.

The Indian veteran, a winner back in 1995, showed that like vintage wine he keeps getting better with age when he lifted his second title in the span of seven months at the inaugural Pine Valley Beijing Open.

The New Delhi-born Ghei was tipped for stardom when he claimed a breakthrough win at the 1995 Gadgil Western Masters on home soil, thanks to a memorable chip-in eagle on the 72nd hole.

But it took him 11 years to taste a second victory at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters in 2006 before ascending to the top once more in the inaugural Pine Valley Beijing Open.

It was truly a golden week for Ghei at an event which was graced by the presence of golf legend Jack Nicklaus.

The 18-time Major champion, nicknamed the Golden Bear, was on hand to launch a new 18-hole Nicklaus signature course at Pine Valley and later took time to marvel at the rapid growth of the game across Asia.

Nicklaus said: “The Asian Tour will continue to grow and the Asian players will continue to get better. The number of young players being introduced to the game here is more than in any other place. Asia is the place where the most growth will come from.

“It is a relatively new game in Asia and I’m confident the growth will be good in this region. Asian players can improve if they keep playing tournaments across the world and compete against the best, that’s how to be the best.

“I have seen a lot more good players now from the time when I was playing. I have seen good Japanese and Korean players like Charlie Wi, KJ Choi and even Kevin Na. We have Zhang Lian-wei who was the first Chinese to play in the Masters. It just shows that the game is going to continue to grow in Asia. It’s not going to stop,” said Nicklaus.

There was no stopping an inspired Ghei who was relentless in his two-stroke romp over Australian young gun Adam Blyth where an opening 65 set the Indian on his way to victory.

“I had a game plan and that’s what I did. I told myself to go out and play it one hole at a time. I hit the ball well and made it easy. I didn’t make bogey, so it was just a solid round of golf. I’m extremely happy,” said Ghei, who blasted birdies on the fifth, eighth and 13th holes for a final round 69 and a winning total of 14-under-par 274.

“Last year’s win in Taipei was great as it ended an 11-year drought. But I wanted to win another tournament to prove to myself that that win was no fluke and to do it here in such a short span of time is very satisfying indeed. I put in a lot of hard work and it feels great to win it again.”

Blyth grabbed lone second place after shooting two birdies against a lone bogey for a 71 on the last day while Thai duo of Chapchai Nirat and Thaworn Wiratchant finished in tied third after a 68 and 70 respectively. American John Daly posted a 75 and claimed tied 29th position.

May 5, 2008