GolfPlus Sept 18 Digital Edition (Sept 2018) | Page 61

Viraj Madappa receives the trophy from Mr. Srinivasan H R, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, TAKE Solutions (2nd from right). Also seen in the picture are Mr. Cho Minn Thant, COO,
Asian Tour (extreme left), Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI (2nd from left) and Mr. Harish Kumar Shetty, President, KGA (extreme right)
TWENTY-YEAR-OLD VIRAJ MADAPPA NEWEST STAR ON INDIAN GOLFING HORIZON;
Becomes youngest Indian to win an international event with TAKE Solutions Masters triumph
T
wenty-year-old Viraj Madappa,
playing his rookie season on the
Asian Tour, became the newest star
to emerge on the Indian golfi ng horizon
as he scripted a historic win at the US$
350,000 TAKE Solutions Masters 2018, an
event co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and
PGTI, at the Karnataka Golf Association
(KGA) course on Sunday.
Madappa (70-65-66-67), who was tied
fourth and two off the lead after round
three, came up with a determined four-
under-67 in the fi nal round to prevail by
two shots as his tournament tally added up
to 16-under-268.
In the process, the six foot two inch tall
Kolkata lad with an athletic built, became
the youngest Indian to win an international
event. The previous record was held
by Gaganjeet Bhullar who had won the
Asian Tour’s 2009 Indonesia President
Invitational at the age of 21 years and three
months.
the Asian Tour after Shiv Kapur (2005) and
Rashid Khan (2014).
The quartet comprising of Thai duo Danthai
Boonma (70) and Suradit Yongcharoenchai
(66), Zimbabwean Scott Vincent (68) and
Viraj Madappa produced a determined final round of
four-under-67 to come through
Viraj, who scored fi ve birdies at the expense
of a lone bogey in round four, also emerged
as only the third Indian rookie to win on
GolfPlus
overnight leader Miguel Carballo (71)
of Argentina, took tied second place at
14-under-270.
While India’s Khalin Joshi (72) slipped
from overnight tied second to tied sixth
at 12-under-272, two other Indians Honey
Baisoya (70) and SSP Chawrasia (70) held
on to their overnight tied sixth place.
Madappa’s family hails from the Coorg
region of Karnataka but he grew up
in Kolkata where learnt his golf at the
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