Golf across the globe: India clutches golfing glory

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From a win in India by a native against a tough field to winds so strong at the Africa Open that only one golfer could play through them, last week was an exciting one for the world of golf. Catch up with what went on in golf across the globe and what to expect in coming weeks.

Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia's win at Delhi Golf Club brought recognition to his country, which rarely garners attention for a sport other than cricket. (Franklin/Getty Images)

Schedules

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LAST WEEK

Event: Emaar-MGF Indian Masters
Co-sanctioned by: European Tour, Asian Tour
• India's Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia, a former caddie, made a name for his home nation -- also the host of the event -- by winning the Emaar-MGF Indian Masters last week at Delhi Golf Club. At 9-under par, Chowrasia finished two shots ahead of Ireland's Damien McGrane, who came in solo second and six shots ahead of the tournament's biggest name, Ernie Els. The Big Easy ended up in a five-way tie for sixth. Chowrasia took home just over $400,000 in prize money.
• Other notable finishes in the Indian Masters were France's Raphaël Jacquelin (one half of France's team at the 2007 OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup) tied for fourth, India's Arjun Atwal tied for 15th and the USA's Mark O'Meara tied for 19th.

Event: Africa Open
Sanctioned by: Sunshine Tour
• Much of the field at the Africa Open struggled to play against the strong easterly wind that ravaged the course during the final round, but Shaun Norris, who says his father taught him to play well in the wind, overcame the weather and cruised to victory at 13-under par for the tournament. The battle at Fish River Sun Country Club became about who could finish second as there was no catching Norris. Six shots behind the runaway winner, Nic Henning slid in for solo second, edging out Zimbabwe's Marc Cayeux -- who won the previous week's Nashua Masters -- by two shots. Henning won around $25,000 for his win.
• Other notable finishes at the Africa Open were a tie for 10th by James Kamte, winner of the Dimension Data Pro-Am a few weeks back, and a 20th-place finish by England's Justin Walters.

THIS WEEK

Event: Enjoy Jakarta Astro Indonesia Open
Co-sanctioned by: European Tour, Asian Tour
• Indonesia's Cengkareng Golf Club, in Jakarta, plays host to this week's Astro Indonesian Open.
• With his victory at last year's event, Finland's Mikko Ilonen made history by becoming the first Finnish golfer to win on the European Tour's International Schedule. The 28-year-old will be back in the field this year to defend his title.
• Also worth noting in the field at Jakarta this week are India's Gaurev Ghei, who finished tied for sixth (along with Ernie Els) at last week's Indian Masters, Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee, who represented his country at the 2007 OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup, the USA's Notah Begay III, India's Arjun Atwal and last week's winner Chowrasia of India.

Event: Vodacom Championship
Sanctioned by: Sunshine Tour
• Richard Sterne of South Africa won the 2007 Vodacom Championship but has withdrawn from the field at Pretoria Country Club this week.
• Marc Cayeux, winner of the 2008 Nashua Masters, has his eye on the prize this week at the Vodacom Championship. The almost 30-year-old has won this event before, in 2005, and hopes to use a win here again to qualify for the field at the World Golf Championships -- Bridgestone Invitational, where he first earned international recognition. Other notable names playing at Pretoria CC this week are last week's winner Henning, Kamte, Jeremy Kavanagh of England who finished tied for sixth at the Africa Open, Norris and Walters.

Event: SBS Open at Turtle Bay
Sanctioned by: LPGA
• This week's event in Hawaii is the LPGA's first outing since the Women's World Cup of Golf in South Africa over the weekend of Jan. 18-20.
• 2007 SBS Open champion Paula Creamer will be defending her title at Turtle Bay Resort's Palmer Course.
• Also in the field this week in Hawaii are Natalie Gulbis, Annika Sorenstam, Suzann Pettersen and Morgan Pressel. World No. 1, Lorena Ochoa, will not be competing in the SBS Open.

Event: HSBC New Zealand PGA Championship
Co-sanctioned by: PGA Tour of Australasia and Nationwide Tour
• 2007 Nationwide Tour graduate Nicholas Thompson won this event last year, but he will not be defending his title this week. With Thompson's new status on the PGA TOUR, the 25-year-old will instead compete at Riviera Country Club for the Northern Trust Open.
• Other notables in the field at Clearwater Resort are last week's Nationwide Tour runner up and fourth-place finisher, Matthew Every and Bubba Dickerson, respectively, as well as Hunter Haas, Daniel Summerhays, Miguel Angel Carballo and B.J. Staten.

NEXT WEEK
• The Sunshine Tour will head to Johannesburg for the Telkom PGA Championship
• Those who qualified from the Australasian, Asian and European Tours for the World Golf Championships -- Accenture Match Play Championship will be in the field in Arizona. Those who did not qualify from the PGA Tour of Australasia will compete in the Moonah Classic.
• The LPGA will remain in the Aloha State for the Fields Open in Hawaii.

World Golf Championships -- Accenture Match Play Championship:
• Last week was the final weekend left for players to qualify for this even by moving into the top 64 in World Golf Ranking. To see who made the cut, click here.

Not playing this week:
• The Japan Tour will not have an event until mid April.