Shiv Kapur finishes 14th in Italian Open

Torino: Shiv Kapur produced a nice midway burst with three birdies in a span of four holes and then added another one to finish with a closing card of four-under, which gave him a share of the 14th place at the 71st Italian Open.

He finished with a total of 10-under 278.

However, SSP Chowrasia, who looked promising for a top-10 finish, slipped in the final round with a one-over 73 with three birdies and four bogeys to end up at eight-under 280 and in tied 24th place.

The 14th place finish has helped Kapur moved up to 67th place in the Race to Dubai standings. The top-60 qualify for the season-ending Dubai World Championships event.

Kapur, who came back to the European Tour via the Challenge Tour this year, has never played the Dubai World Championships before.

There is still some way to go with eight events left before the four-event Final Series, which concludes with the Dubai World Tour Championships.

South African Hennie Otto held on to his lead to win the title for the second time, but Stephen Gallacher's Ryder Cup dream was left hanging in the balance despite a brilliant final round.

Otto took command of the event with a second round of 62 and claimed his third European Tour title with a closing 68 in just his second event back after two back operations this summer.

Gallacher will have to rely on a wild card after coming up agonisingly short in his last-gasp bid to qualify automatically. The Scotsman needed to win or finish joint second with just one other player to dislodge Graeme McDowell from Paul McGinley's European Team for Gleneagles.

The 39-year-old carded a flawless closing 65 at Circolo Golf Torino ? La Mandria to give himself every opportunity, but had to settle for third place, three shots behind South African Otto and a stroke adrift of good friend David Howell, who denied him with a brilliant 63.

Gallacher will hope he has done enough to earn one of McGinley's three wild cards, which will be announced on Tuesday.

The World Number 34 lives just 35 miles from Gleneagles and has recorded seven top-10 finishes there in his last 12 appearances.