Aryan stars in matchplay magic

Mysuru teenager Aryan Roopa Anand wrapped up a phenomenal outing at the IGU 119th Amateur Golf Championship of India, bagging the coveted matchplay title after having emerged triumphant in the stroke play section early this week.

In a hard-fought final that went down to the very last hole (36th), the 17-year-old Aryan dished out another composed yet gritty display of golf to down Prakhar Asawa 1up at the Eagleton Golf Resort here on Sunday.

“It’s great to complete the coveted double of stroke play and matchplay,” a beaming Aryan, a student of coach Tarun Sardesai, told DH. “The semifinal and final were two really difficult matches for me. Aditya (Chahal) pushed me to the limits in the semifinals on Saturday and I had to really script a superb turnaround on the back nine to seal a final berth.

“Prakhar was solid in the final too. He was really testing me hole after hole. That’s the way a final is and all kudos to him for producing such a performance. It could have gone either way but my caddie Basavaraj helped me maintain my composure. He really calmed me down and gave me good lines. It helped a big deal in the end.”

After a back and forth first half on a glorious day for golfing, Aryan led by one hole heading into the afternoon 18-hole contest. When both players birdied the first hole of the second half to halve it, one knew a riveting contest would be on cards.

Prakhar squared the contest after Aryan bogeyed the second hole. Prakhar then birdied the fourth and sixth holes to go 2-up, putting Aryan under intense pressure. That’s when Basavaraj gave a misfiring Aryan some pep talk and that bore instant results as the Mysuru lad fired three straight birdies from the seventh hole to go 1-up at the turn.

Prakhar, feeling the heat, bogeyed the 10th as Aryan went 2-up. Seemingly overjoyed at Prakhar’s slide, Aryan lost focus on the 11th, bogeying it that reduced to deficit to one shot. Aryan, however, quickly regained his focus, parring the next four holes to stay one shot ahead.

Not the one to give up, Prakhar nailed a birdie on the 16th to square the finale and push it into a tense climax. Aryan, though, ensured there would be no late-evening dramas as he birdied the 17th to regain his lead before halving the final hole to secure a momentous win in his nascent career.