Sizzling Chikka off to great start

India lie three strokes behind Thailand

Cashing in on his knowledge of his home course, the 17-year-old fired a scorching six-under 66 as India (220) lay second, three strokes adrift of Thailand in the boys’ category, on a sun-baked day at the Eagleton Golf Resort.

Among girls, Chinese Taipei (143) opened up a narrow one-shot lead over Singapore, while Gurbani Singh and Shreya Ghei kept India (149) in the hunt at third.

India’s hopes of a maiden Janya Cup rested largely on Chikkarangappa and Saini. While Saini struggled with his putting, Chikkarangappa produced a blemish-free round that steered him to pole position in the individual category.

Just a little off colour with his driving on a few holes, the wily Chikkarangappa more than made up with his putting. A 10th tee starter, he took the turn at four-under that including eight-foot and 12-foot birdie putts on the 16th and 18th.

A poor tee shot on the fourth landed the ball close to a water body but a brilliant chip-out and an ensuing 13-foot putt gave Chikkarangappa probably his best birdie of the day.
While Saini carded 71, an unwell Honey Biasoya and Manu Gandas had 81 and 84 respectively.

Leading scores (India unless mentioned): Team championship: 217: Thailand; 220: India; 221: Chinese Taipei; 232: Philippines; 246: Hong Kong.

Girls: 143: Chinese Taipei; 144: Singapore; 149: India; 150: Thailand; 156: Malaysia.

Individual championship: Boys: Category A&B: 66: S Chikkarangappa; 68: Poom Saksansin (Tha); 69: Teng Kao (Chn Tpe); 70: Wei-Hou Liu (Chn Tpe); 71: Trishul Chinnappa, Jobim Antonio Carlos (Phi), Mohd Azman Basharudin (Mal).

Category B: 74: Sung-I Yu (Chn Tpe); 75: Nattawat Suvajanakorn (Tha); 77: Shubhankar Sharma, Pariwat Pinsawat (Tha), Ambrose Tam (HK).

Category C: 72: Piyush Sangwan; 75: Pawat Kongkanjana (Tha); 76: Viraj Madappa; 77: Feroz Garewal; 78: Prakhar Asawa.

Category D: 71: Puwit Anupansuebsai (Tha), 82: Karandeep Kochar; 84: Kshitij Kaul; 91: Aadil Bedi; 92: Pratheek Nagaprasad.

Girls: Category A: 70: Jo-Ee Kok (Sin); 71: Wei-Ling Hsu (Chn Tpe); 72: Hsuan-Yu Yao (Chn Tpe); 73: Princess Mary Superal (Phi); 74: Shreya Ghei (Ind), Joey Poh (Sin).

Category B: 73: Princess Mary Superal (Phi); 75: Pinrath Loomboonruang (Tha); 76: Mimi Ho (HK); 81: Isabella Leung (HK), Ssu-Chia Cheng (Chn Tpe). Category C: 75: Benyapa Niphatsophon (Tha); 80: Aditi Ashok; 88: Amrita Anand; 89: Ridhima Dilawari. Category D: 87: Chakansim Khamborn (Tha); 101: Tanirika Singh; 104: Karishma Dutt, Shruthi Shenoy.