Aiken ready for a breather

Thomas Aiken described his own play as phenomenal, but there could be little argument following his impressive victory in the Avantha Masters.

Aiken took a three-shot lead into the final day and won by the same margin thanks to a flawless closing 67, holding off the challenge of home favourite Gaganjeet Bhullar on the Jaypee Greens Golf Course he represents.

China's Liang Wenchong had to settle for third despite a hole-in-one on the seventh as Aiken claimed the £260,000 first prize for his second European Tour title.

Aiken's only two bogeys came on the seventh and eighth holes of his second round, meaning he played the last 46 holes without dropping a shot and carded a total of 21 birdies and two eagles during the week.

Although Bhullar (64) began the final round with three birdies and an eagle in the first five holes and Liang was also three under for the same stretch, Aiken crucially kept his nose in front with birdies at the second and fifth.

Liang then suffered a double bogey on the sixth before bouncing back in spectacular style by holing his tee-shot on the next with an eight iron, but Aiken remained unruffled and picked up three shots on the back nine to seal an impressive win.

"They just kept coming at me today," said Aiken, who birdied the last to finish 23 under par. "I tried my best to get a little bit of a lead but couldn't get it going, everyone was holing everything; Liang on the front nine and Bhullar made some amazing birdies coming in.

"By no means was it a walk in the park. Finally I can have a bit of a breather."

A breather Aiken could certainly have done without came on the 18th tee, where he endured a 12-minute wait due to a prolonged ruling in the group ahead after Australian Scott Hend had driven into the water.

"It's not the easiest tee-shot in the world but I managed to hit a fairly decent one," Aiken added at the prize-giving ceremony.

"I didn't really want to miss the fairway because I have been getting fliers out of the rough all week and I got another one, but it worked out well.

"I have been playing very nicely the last four months, making very few mistakes but not sinking enough putts.

"This week a few went in and I hit some better iron shots and I played phenomenal golf; two bogeys the whole week and overall I am very pleased with the way I played."