Panasonic Open Golf Championship: South Korean teenager Joohyung Kim snatches title at smog-hit event

Korean teenager Joohyung Kim on Sunday became the second-youngest winner on the Asian Tour when he won the shortened Panasonic Open in India by one stroke ahead of local challengers Shiv Kapur and Chikkarangappa S. [caption id=“attachment_7664901” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] South Korea’s Joohyung Kim holds the winner’s trophy after winning the Panasonic Indian Open golf tournament. Image courtesy: ASIAN TOUR/AFP[/caption] The 17-year-old, who was making just his third start on the Tour this year, fired a seven-under-par 65 in the third and final round at the 54-hole, $400,000 tournament in Gurgaon near New Delhi to clinch the title. Kapur had a share of the overnight lead with Australia’s Terry Pilkadaris but was let down by a costly double-bogey seven on his closing hole. Pilkadaris finished fourth after carding a 71, while Indonesia’s Rory Hie, Chinese Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao and India’s Vikrant Chopra were tied fifth. “I’m really speechless. It has been a dream of mine to play on the Asian Tour ever since I was young,” Kim said. “And it’s really wonderful to come here, be in contention and win. I cannot describe the feeling now.” The Asian Tour event was shortened to 54 holes amid a severe and toxic smog enveloping northern India.