Eagleton - The Golf Village, Bengaluru, 28-10-2015
Greg Moss goes birdie-hunting, blasts 10-under-62 for first round lead at TAKE Solutions India Masters
Himmat Singh Rai placed second at eight-under-64
American Greg Moss blasted an astonishing 10-under-62 to take a two-shot lead on the opening day of the US$120,000 TAKE Solutions India Masters 2015, an event jointly-sanctioned by the Asian Development Tour (ADT) and the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI). Himmat Singh Rai of India ended the day in second place with an outstanding eight-under-64 at Eagleton – The Golf Village.
The Bangalore duo of defending champion Chikkarangappa S and Trishul Chinnappa were bunched together in tied third along with Delhi’s Rashid Khan, Gurgaon’s Shubhankar Sharma, Sri Lankan N Thangaraja and Masaru Takahashi of Japan at seven-under-65.
Greg Moss, playing his first full season on the ADT, went on a birdie-spree on Wednesday, to deliver a phenomenal 62. The 29-year-old southpaw from Los Angeles, playing his first competitive round at Eagleton, had pars on the first five holes before he managed a remarkable run of five straight birdies from the sixth through the 10th. He sank two from 10 to 15 feet on this stretch and almost drove the green on the ninth.
Moss, who posted his best finish on the ADT, a tied second, earlier this year in Chinese Taipei, had another spectacular birdie-run from the 12th to the 15th before he added a last birdie on the 17th. Greg knocked-down four birdies from 20 to 25 feet and another from a mammoth 45 feet on the last seven holes to round up a memorable day in his golfing life.
Moss, currently lying 20th in the ADT Order of Merit, said, “I didn’t make any mistakes off the tee today and I hit every green. My putting was on fire on the back-nine as I sank five putts from over 20 feet. In fact I didn’t expect some putts to roll in, but they did.
“I had a nice pairing with my good friend Casey O’Toole today and that kept me going. I would say I’m in a good space at the moment as I just got back after a three-week break at home after being on the road for nine months on the ADT. It was great to see my family after such a long time and I feel rejuvenated.
“I also attribute my score to the good equation I share with my caddie. Suresh, my caddie, who is a local, gave me some good reads today. I feel there is a lot of work to do over the next three days as there are a lot of contenders and the scores could go low,” added Moss.
Delhi's Himmat Singh Rai was the best-placed Indian in round one thanks to his brilliant 64. Rai, playing his seventh event on the ADT this season, was nine-under through 17 holes before closing with his only bogey of the day on the 18th.
The 28-year-old Himmat, a former winner on the Asian Tour, chipped-in for birdie on the third and also had three tap-in birdies during his round. He drained three more birdies from a range of 10 to 15 feet for a superb opening round effort.
Rai, an Asian Tour regular and winner of four titles, said, “I’ve played well at this venue in the past so enjoy playing here. I hit it good for most part of the day and was consistent from tee to green. I chipped well whenever required. A good performance this week would really lift my confidence before I get back on the Asian Tour and look to secure my card for next year.”
Chikkarangappa launched his title defence at his home course with a solid 65. Chikka fought back valiantly after an early double-bogey on the third where he four-putted.
“There are naturally high expectations from me this week as I’m defending my title on my home turf. I set up a few eagle opportunities for myself today and putted really well. I’m delighted with the way I came back after a poor start. I was very composed through the day and have kept myself in contention with this round,” said Chikka.
Trishul Chinnappa, another Bengaluru-based golfer, produced two consecutive eagles on the ninth and 10th besides six other birdies and three bogeys for a fantastic 65. Chinnappa, a rookie on the PGTI, holed his approach from 60 yards for an eagle-two on the ninth. He sank a 15-footer on the next hole for his second straight eagle.
Rashid Khan, a pre-tournament favourite, made three birdies on the first five holes to get off to a flier. He missed a few up and downs thereafter but made a good recovery on the second-nine where he had a 10-feet eagle conversion and two tap-in birdies. Interestingly, Khan had won his last tournament at Eagleton back in October 2014.
The Delhi duo of Naman Dawar and Ashok Kumar and Noida’s Vikrant Chopra were in tied ninth at six-under-66 along with Sri Lankan Anura Rohana.
Bengaluru's Khalin Joshi, another local favourite, was a further shot back in tied 13th.
American Casey O’Toole, the current ADT Order of Merit leader, carded a four-under-68 to be tied 18th.
About TAKE Solutions
TAKE Solutions is a leading domain focused technology company offering services/solutions to the global market. The company provides cost-effective and comprehensive solutions for enterprises across diverse sectors including pharmaceuticals, high technology, consumer packaged goods, oil/gas, and automotive.
TAKE Solutions encompasses specialized lines of businesses under distinct brands such as Navitas – a pure play Life Sciences company, TAKE Supply Chain & TAKE MEA – flexible, accessible, mobile Supply Chain software solution providers, APA Engineering – an International Sourcing and Engineering services company and TAKE Enterprise Services Inc. – a specialist provider of technology-driven business solutions and software services.
TAKE’s global headquarters is in Chennai, India; its U.S. headquarters is located in Princeton, New Jersey. TAKE has a proven track record as a trusted partner in delivering world-class solutions to more than 400 customers worldwide. For more information, please visit www.takesolutions.com.
About the Asian Development Tour
The Asian Development Tour was launched in 2010 with the aim of creating a career pathway for professional golfers in Asia. Sanctioned by the Asian Tour, the Asian Development Tour will ultimately create a new playing platform for emerging stars from across Asia and around the world. Through the Asian Tour Qualifying School, players will qualify for the Asian Development Tour and enjoy the opportunity to hone their games and talent through a secondary circuit in Asia. Designed in the same structure as the Web.com Tour in America and European Challenge Tour, the Asian Development Tour is a stepping stone to the Asian Tour and the exciting world of international golf. The Asian Development Tour has been structured to ensure the best opportunities for its members. The leading five players on the Asian Development Tour will earn coveted Asian Tour cards for the following season, ensuring a proper career pathway for aspiring professionals. All ADT events receive Official World Golf Ranking points.
About PGTI:
Formed in 2006, Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) is the recognised official body of professional golf in India. PGTI's objective is to promote professional golf in the country, as well as to give players an opportunity to be involved in the decision making on all aspects of the game. Headed by Mr. Kapil Dev (President), PGTI's governing body comprises leading Indian golf professionals. PGTI currently has over 300 members.
For information on PGTI, please contact:
Nikhil Kalaan
Media Manager - PGTI
Mobile: 9910974846
Email: media@pgtofindia.com
