Gritty Chikka retains India Masters title

Defending champion Chikkarangappa S. struck when it mattered most, defending his title at the $120,000 Take Solutions India Masters with a gritty playoff victory against Shubhankar Sharma at the Engleton course in Bengaluru on Saturday.

Chikka won with a birdie on the first playoff hole after he and Shubhankar had both finished the regulation 72 holes with matching scores of 25-under-263 at the Asian Development Tour and Professional Golf Tour of India joint-sanctioned event.

Local boy Chikka (65-66-66-66), overnight joint leader along with Shubhankar, seemed to have broken away from the pack with a rash of birdies but Shubhankar caught up with birdies on the last four holes to take the match into a playoff.

A resolute Chikka, 22, then displayed composure under pressure to land his approach within five feet of the pin and collect a birdie on the first playoff hole to clinch the title.

“I love challenging situations as that brings the best out of me. That’s what happened today after Shubhankar’s amazing comeback. I’m delighted to win at home once again in front of my family and friends. This course is like a mother to me so I can’t bear the thought of losing here. I therefore didn’t want to let it go till the very end,” the champion said later.

Chikka took home a cheque worth Rs. 13,65,000 which pushed him up from sixth place to first position in the Rolex Ranking. His season’s earnings now are Rs. 26,37,440. Chandigarh’s Abhijit Singh Chadha, who finished third, is second with Rs. 23,37,165. Chikka’s win also helped him secure six Official World Golf Ranking points that the winner of each ADT event is awarded.

Sharma’s runner-up finish lifted him from ninth place to third in the Rolex Ranking.

Chadha posted the day’s best of 10-under-62, a bogey-free effort, while American Greg Moss and Delhi’s Rashid Khan were a further shot back in joint fourth.

Himmat Singh Rai of the DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon, claimed sixth place at 17-under-271.