Kahlon pips Marksaeng for Indian Masters title

India's Harmeet Kahlon held his nerve on the final hole to win his maiden professional title by a solitary shot at the $300,000 Indian Masters on Sunday.

Kahlon fired a one-under-par 70 in the final round to finish with a seven-under-par 277 winning score, one better than Thai pair Prayad Marksaeng and Thammanoon Sriroj, who shared second place with James Oh of South Korea.

Kahlon led Marksaeng by one shot going into the final hole, a par four with a huge water body just short of the green.

The 31-year-old Indian hit a 320-yard drive into the centre fairway but his approach shot finished right of the pin on the slope of a bunker.

But he then managed to get down in three to finish with a bogey and secure the $48,450 winner's cheque, while Marksaeng missed a chip to force a play off.

Marksaeng carded a 72, while Oh finished with a six-under 65 and Sriroj a 67.

"This is my first title as a pro and it couldn't have come at a better event," Kahlon said.

"Many times in the past I've thought I would win. I've realised if you give yourself enough chances victories come."

Kahlon had started Sunday's round one shot behind overnight leaders Marksaeng and India's Vijay Kumar but emerged victorious after some excellent approach work on the back nine.

He began the day sinking a 25-foot birdie putt on the first but dropped a shot at the fifth after his only three-putt of the week.

Although he made another bogey at the eighth he made immediate amends with a 20-foot birdie on the next hole to reach the turn with an even-par 36.

On the 13th, an approach to five-foot set up another birdie and he claimed the outright lead when he hit a wedge to seven feet for a birdie at the 17th.

"I was middling the irons all week," Kahlon said. "I knew something was up but I did not see the leaderboard even once until I was over the water on the 18th.

"I just wanted the make sure the pressure didn't get to me."

Marksaeng started with a bogey at the first and although he managed birdies at the sixth and 15th, he dropped further shots along the way with some wayward driving.

Defending champion Arjun Atwal of India fired a 70 to finish joint fifth with American Steve Jurgensen, who also carded a 70.

Vijay Kumar, joint leader going into the final round, fired a three-over 74 that saw him slip to joint seventh, while local favourite Jeev Milkha Singh could manage only a share of 15th place.

The European Tour regular and halfway leader shot a 74 to go with Saturday's disastrous six-over-par 76.