Noida, 19-04-2019

Chikkarangappa keeps enviable playoff record intact, prevails over C Muniyappa to claim Delhi-NCR Open 2019 title; Chikka now leads PGTI Order of Merit

Chikkarangappa S kept his enviable playoff record intact as he stole a march over fellow Bengalurean and good friend C Muniyappa to lift his 13th career title at the TATA Steel PGTI’s Delhi-NCR Open 2019 played at the Noida Golf Course (NGC).

Chikkarangappa (67-69-67-69) triumphed over Muniyappa (66-69-68-69) on the fourth playoff hole after both the golfers ended the regulation 72 holes with identical totals of 16-under-272 at the Rs. 30 lakh event.

Chikkarangappa thus bagged his third title in the last six months and moved up from second to first position in the PGTI Order of Merit. The 25-year-old Chikka has now won all of his five playoff encounters on the PGTI.

Incidentally, on Friday, the record for the longest-running playoff on the PGTI was matched. The only previous instance of a playoff lasting four extra holes on the PGTI was during the PGTI Players Championship also played at the Noida Golf Course in 2013.

Chikkarangappa and Muniyappa began the final round as joint leaders, three ahead of the rest of the field. It seemed to be a two-horse race from the very start as both the players matched shot for shot and maintained a comfortable lead over the others.

It was all square till the eighth as both players, who incidentally sat next to each other and had a long talk on the flight to Delhi earlier this week, were four-under through that stretch. Chikka had a moment of brilliance on the second where he hit his approach through the trees and landed it within three feet for a birdie.

On a dramatic day, the first twist came on the ninth when former Indian Open champion Muniyappa found the trees and thereby dropped a bogey. He conceded another bogey on the 10th to fall back by two shots. But just as Chikka was looking the favourite, his drive on the 15th landed out of bounds and led to a double-bogey thus restoring parity between Muniyappa and him. 

Chikka, who had recently recommended his swing coach, the Pune-based Laurence Brotheridge, to Muniyappa, once again snatched the lead with a birdie on the 17th courtesy an outstanding second shot. However, Muniyappa fought back with his splendid approach and a six-foot conversion on the 18th that earned him a birdie and took the match into a playoff.  

The stalemate continued on the first three playoff holes (all played on the 18th) as there were no birdie opportunities created. Finally, Chikka sealed it on the fourth extra hole with superb wedge shot from 150 yards that landed seven feet from the flag. Muniyappa stumbled on the fourth as his approach missed the green and the subsequent chip was way short of the hole. Chikka went on to birdie the hole and register his first win at NGC.

Chikka said, “I’m delighted to win at the NGC on my return to this venue after five years. I did the basics well this week. I was very good off the tee and found most fairways. It’s just amazing to win my third title since November and my second this year.

“Last year I felt that I was stagnated and needed to lift my game. That’s when I got the opportunity to learn a lot of new things from my swing coach. That helped get my game back on track.

“I was quite confident of maintaining the advantage till the end after Muniyappa made those two bogeys today. But I made a bad decision by going for the driver on the 15th that cost me a double-bogey.   

“Once in the playoff, my confidence returned thanks to my great playoff record. I’m just in a different zone during playoffs as I feel quite relaxed even though I approach it like a challenge. For me, a playoff also feels like an extension of my practice session.

“I’m very pleased for Muniyappa with whom I have played a lot of golf. His game is looking very good at the moment and he is not far from a victory.”

Chikka’s winning cheque of Rs. 4,84,950 helped him overtake Rashid Khan and move into the lead in the PGTI Order of Merit with his tally of season’s earnings reading Rs. 21,21,503.

Delhi’s Shamim Khan finished third at 12-under-276.

Gaurav Pratap Singh had the best finish among the Noida golfers as he secured tied 18th at three-under-285.   

Delhi’s Harshjeet Singh Sethie, the only amateur to make the cut, won the prize for the best performance by an amateur. Sethie claimed tied 31st place at two-over-290.