It was Jyoti Randhawa’s love for mean machines that was on display today, as he showed off his 1000 cc Yamaha R1 to the posse of photographers. But as he puts away that helmet and takes on the more sedate golfing gadgets out on Thursday morning at the Hero Honda Indian Open, he knows the fancy stuff is best left to the roads.

“My plan is to concentrate on keeping the errors as less as possible. I don’t know how the three of us (him, Vijay Kumar and SSP Chowrasia, leading to the play-off) managed to aggregate 18-under last year, it was a hell of a score,” he said today.

The 35-year-old is not just chasing the defence of his crown at the $500,000 Asian Tour event, but also a rare record. Randhawa will become only the second man to win the title thrice — the other being first edition winner Australian Peter Thomson — if he is the last man standing on Sunday.

But the challengers are many, least not fellow European Tour regular Jeev Milkha Singh, returning home seeking his first title here. Yesterday Jeev had said he would put his money on Randhawa, the Gurgaon player laughingly returned the favour today, but the fight for the title won’t be as much in jest. The third Indian star and Delhi Golf Club local boy Gaurav Ghei does bring out his best on his home course, and he remains the perennial darkhorse.

Randhawa, however, is not the only one looking to regain the crown. With the last four champions before Randhawa — Vijay Kumar, Mike Cunning, Mardan Mamat and Thaworn Wiratchant — in the fray as well, the final day’s leadergroup names are a secret that the Delhi Golf Club bush cover holds.

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