Anirban Lahiri helps Masters chances with Malaysian Open win

India’s Anirban Lahiri has his sights set on the Masters after winning the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday by firing a final round 4-under 68, finishing a stroke ahead of Austrian Bernd Wiesberger.

Anirban, who finished on 16-under 272, rolled in a 40-foot birdie putt from off the green on the 17th hole as he overcame a five-shot deficit at the start of play.

Ranked 73rd heading into this week’s event at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, Lahiri will now move into the world’s top 40.

With the top 50 automatically qualifying for the Masters when the cut-off is made in early April, the 27-year-old has a great chance of making it to Augusta National.

“That’s definitely one of my targets,” Lahiri said. “I don’t know how far I’ve moved up (the rankings), but I’m pretty confident now with this win I should have a good chance.”

Wiesberger held a two-shot lead over Spain’s Alejandro Canizares heading into the final round, but the Austrian faltered, carding a two-over 74 to finish outright second on 15-under.

Canizares also shot 74 to end the week three shots behind Lahiri in a tie for third alongside England’s Paul Waring, who closed with a 73.

Defending champion Lee Westwood, who shared the lead after the opening two rounds, stumbled to a 75 on Sunday that left him in a share of fifth on 11-under.

Nine shots off the pace after the second round, Lahiri shot a superb 10-under 62 on Saturday to put himself in contention.

“I don’t think it has sunk in yet,” Lahiri said. “But I’m pretty sure when it does, I’ll be pretty happy.”

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South Korean rookie Sei Young Kim won the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic for her first LPGA Tour title, holing an 8-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff with countrywoman Sun Young Yoo and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn.

The 22-year-old Kim shot a 1-under 72 in the completion of the delayed third round and closed with a 68 to match Yoo and Jutanugarn at 14-under 278 on Atlantis Resort’s Ocean Club course at Paradise Island in the Bahamas.

Kim birdied the par-5 18th in regulation and won the playoff with her birdie on the hole.

Yoo finished with rounds of 69 and 70, and Jutanugarn shot 70-69.

Brittany Lincicome was third at 13 under after rounds of 68 and 70.

Lydia Ko tied for seventh at 11 under in her first event as the No. 1 player in the world. She shot 70-68.

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Paul Goydos closed with a birdie for a 3-under 69 and a one-stroke victory over Gene Sauers on Sunday in the Champions Tour’s Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, Fla.

Goydos chipped to a foot from behind the par-5 18th green and tapped in for his second victory in 12 career starts of the 50-and-over tour. He won twice in 507 starts on the PGA Tour.

“Statistics are a wonderful predictor of the past,” Goydos said. “Part of it is experience and maturity. If I played like I did today 10 years ago, I don’t think there’s any way I would have won this tournament. I didn’t have my best game, but I got it around.”

On a wild day at Broken Sound where nine players had a share of the lead at some point, Goydos finished at 12-under 204 to claim the $255,000 first prize. He chipped in for an unlikely birdie at the difficult ninth and stayed atop the leaderboard the rest of the day.

Sauers birdied his final two holes for a 67. It was his fourth runner-up finish on the Champions Tour, including a playoff loss to Colin Montgomerie last year in the U.S Senior Open.

Fred Funk chipped in for eagle on the final hole to tie for third at 10 under with John Huston, playing for the first time in 18 months because of a neck injury, and 2014 winner Michael Allen. Funk and Huston shot 66, and Allen had a 67.