Star Indian golfer Jyoti Randhawa made a gallant comeback with a well-compiled round of six-under 66 propelling him to a tied-third finish at the Euros 747,020 Caltex Masters, played at the par-72 Laguna National G & CC.
Randhawa's tournament aggregate stood at 12-under 276 and he got to take home Euros 41,563.
Earlier in the tournament, Randhawa, who was tied-second at the mid-way stage, had shot a 74 on day three to slip down the leader-board.
The legendary European Tour star Colin Montgomerie ran away with the title courtesy a final round 65 and a tournament tally of 16-under 272. The winner pocketed Euros 123,041.
Greg Hanrahan finished second three strokes behind the winner at 275, while Nick O'Her finished tied with Randhawa at 276.
Arjun Singh, the other Indian in the fray, finished 73rd. Arjun tallied six-over 294 for the week.
Randhawa's golfing career has been on an upswing for the past two years. The Indian won the Order of Merit title on the Asian PGA Tour in 2002. He followed it up with a win at the Suntory Open on his Rookie season on the Japanese PGA Tour in 2003. Earlier this year, Randhawa finished tied-second at the Johnny Walker Classic and now he another feather on his cap.
Randhawa's final round today saw him make the turn at two-under courtesy back-to-back birdies on the eighth and ninth. A dropped shot on the tenth was followed by an eagle on the following hole. Thereafter the 31-year old birdied the 12th, 14th, 15th and 17th with a bogey on the 13th, handing him a card of 66.
"I am pretty pleased with the way I played. It would have been nice if I could have won though," said the Indian, who had as many as 20 birdies this week, three more than the winner Montgomerie.
Arjun Singh's was a sad tale. The Delhi-based pro had bogeys on the fifth, 15th, 17th and 18th with a triple bogey on the ninth undoing any good an eagle on the fourth would have done.
Arjun shot a 77 and earned Euros 1,101.
Montgomerie's round was error free and studded with seven birdies, these coming on the first, second, fifth, seventh, 13th, 15th and 17th.
Scores (after 72 holes): 272_Colin Montgomerie(71,69,67,65); 275_Greg Hanrahan(68,68,67,72); 278_Jyoti Randhawa(72,64,74,66), Nick O'Her(71,68,70,67); 278_Barry Lane(71,65,67,75), Patrik Sjoland(70,71,70,67); 279_Mardan Mamat(67,68,70,74), Brett Rumford(71,69,70,67); 280_Joakim Haeggman(73,70,69,68).
