From L-R – Uttam Singh Mundy(CEO – PGTI), Chikkarangappa S receives the trophy from Mr. T V Narendran (CEO & Managing Director, TATA Steel) and Sanjiv Paul (Vice President – Safety, Health & Sustainability, TATA Steel)
29-year-old Chikkarangappa of Bangalore won the record Rs 45 lac top prize at the season ending Tata Steel Tour Championship shooting 66-71-62-69 (20-under 268) to win the Rs 3 crore prize money event by two shots – the richest domestic pro event in Indian Golf History.
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Chikka said, ““It’s been a tough year for me as I lost my mother earlier this year and wasn’t really enjoying my golf. But I managed to stay the course as my mother always wanted me to play golf. I dedicate this win to her.
“My driving and iron-play were great through the week. I went back to a putter that I had played with for a long time and as a result made some clutch putts like on the 17th today.
“I meditate a lot so that helps me keep my calm in pressure situations on the golf course. It helps me focus and keep the distractions away.
“I would like to thank TATA Steel for staging this landmark event. This win gives me a huge boost for 2023. I feel it’s high time I win an international event,” added Chikka, who is now ranked joint second in the number of wins (15) on the PGTI along with Delhi’s Shamim Khan. Veteran Mukesh Kumar of Mhow leads the list with 20 wins.
Chikkarangappa’s prize money from this event alone was enough for him to finish fifth on the Tata Steel PGTI Rankings (Order Of Merit) but since he had not played the minimum seven events prior to the finale, he did not qualify for the rankings.
A trio of stars in Shiv Kapur (64-69-70-67), Delhi’s Shamim Khan (71-67-67-65), and Gurugram’s Veer Ahlawat (67-71-67-65) finished in joint-second place at 18-under 270 in the field that was reserved for only the top 60 in the PGTI rankings prior to the event.
Credits:-
Photo – PGTI