HUA HIN, Jan 10: India’s Samarth Dwivedi achieved his first goal of qualifying for the Final Stage of Asian Tour Qualifying School by finishing tied ninth at the First Stage Section A at Imperial Lakeview Golf Club today.
Dwivedi, who shot 68, 68 and 73 in his first three rounds, added a one-under 71 in the final round to finish at eight-under 280
Dwivedi, a member of the Indian team which finished sixth at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, will join a host of Indians, who have direct entries into the Final Stage due to be held in Hua Hin from January 21 to 24.
Dwivedi, third after the second round, slipped to 10th after the third, but in the final round, he birdied the second before dropping two shots on fifth and sixth.
Birdies on 10th and 11th brought him back on track but a double bogey on the 13th set him back again. Back to back birdies on 14th and 15th saw him finish the day at 71.
The top 22 finishes in the starting field of 100 made the Final Stage from, Section A.
Matthew Giles of Australia and former Tour member Kalle Samooja of Finland were among the 22 at Imperial Lakeview Golf Club to qualify for the Final Stage.
Giles topped the field after shooting a three-under 69 for a 15-under 273 total while Samooja finished a further shot back in second place.
At the Singha Park Khon Kaen Golf Club, Mathiam Keyser of South Africa shot a one-under-par 71 to lead eight other players to the Final Stage.
The South African ended his campaign with a four-under 284 total while Matt Jager of Australia settled for second, one shot back from Keyser. Sushi Ishigaki of Japan also qualified for the Final Stage. (PTI)