Dr. Sameer Azad Mahendra (left) and Rajendar Gaddam (right) read the greens in Haikou
Even as the qualifiers for next year’s Chola World Corporate Golf Challenge is underway in the country, India’s two-man team of Dr. Sameer Mahendra and Rajender Gaddam claimed the runners-up spot at the prestigious World Corporate Golf Challenge (WCGC) World Final 2024 held earlier this month at the Mission Hills Golf Club in Haikou, China.
This was India’s 24th appearance at the World Final, where Mahendra and Gaddam, winners of the 2024 Chola World Corporate Golf Challenge – India, finished with a combined score of 90 points, only three shots shy of the title clinched by Japan’s ANA team. Malaysia closely followed India with 87 points, securing third place, while France and China’s Team Guojiao 1573 A and B tied for fifth and sixth.
A shared moment of camaraderie and sportsmanship between the Indian duo (Runners-up) and Japan’s ANA Team (Winner) during their post-round celebration
The event, a Ryder Cup-style contest, drew widespread attention, with over 4 million viewers in China alone tuning into live streams, underlining the event’s prominence in the corporate golf scene. Mahendra and Gaddam’s performance marked only the third time in history that an Indian team has achieved a second-place finish at the WCGC World Final, a feat that adds to the only two prior instances of Indian teams finishing either as champions or runners-up in this fiercely competitive tournament.
The WCGC World Final, with its high-stakes competition and global participation, was attended by corporate teams from across the globe, with major media outlets like Fortune Magazine, IMG, and the Golf Channel covering the event.
India Golf Weekly is supremely proud of the two-man Indian Team and congratulates Dr. Sameer Mahendra and Rajender Gaddam on their efforts and much-deserved success on the global stage!
Dr. Sameer Mahendra (left) and Rajender Gaddam (right) are all smiles pose with their well-deserved runners-up trophies