JOIN USChikka signs off in style
S Chikkarangappa completed a grand double by capping a memorable 2015 with a victory at the season-ending McLeod Russel Tour golf championship that also sealed his maiden Rolex Player of the Year title for the PGTI order of merit here on Sunday.
Having slipped to third place at nine-under 207 after his 70 in the penultimate round, the Bengaluru lad, who has trained with Asian Tour winner Anirban Lahiri, shot a tenacious final round of three-under 69 en route his one-shot win with a 12-under 276 and a prize purse of Rs 22,50,000.
Gurgaon-based Indian golfing great Jyoti Randhawa and Khalin Joshi, another Bangalorean, were joint runners-up at 11-under 277 at the Rs. 1.5 crore event that concluded at the Royal Calcutta Golf Course.
Chikka’s brilliant win at RCGC took his season’s earnings to an outstanding Rs 48,87,440 as he climbed from second place to top the Order of Merit.
At 22 years and three months of age, Chikka became the youngest winner of the Rolex Ranking title.
In his seven starts in the season, he posted three wins, was a runner-up in one event and had three top-10 finishes.
“I quite enjoy playing here. I had been finishing second in the merit list for the last two years so winning the first title three years after turning pro means a lot to me. This is a dream come true,” Chikka said with a broad grin.
Having slipped to third on Saturday, Chikka produced a consistent show with five birdies including one in the 17th hole to jump up the leaderboard.
Bengaluru’s Udayan Mane, who finished tied 20th this week at one-over 289, won the 2015 PGTI Emerging Player of the Year title for recording the highest earnings among the rookies this season. Mane’s earnings for 2015 stood at Rs 22,21,507 as he finished a creditable fifth in the Rolex Ranking.