Even before the final round of the HP Asia-Pacific Junior Golf Championship began on Sunday, it was a foregone conclusion that the young golfers from Thailand would defend their title without much ado
At the Eagleton Golf Course on Sunday, the Thai boys cruised to an 11-stroke victory over their nearest competitors, hosts India, while Chinese Taipei finished third.
The foursome of Nattawat Suwajanakorn, Pariwat Pinasawat, Rattanon Wannasrichan and Poom Saksansin finished with a four-day tally of 855 (nine under).
But the home crowd was not left disappointed as local lad Chikkarangappa won his maiden international title with a total score of 272, scoring a six stroke win over Chinese Taipei’s Teng Pao. Thailand’s Poom Saksansin was third.
A caddie turned golfer, the 16-year-old’s rise on the fairway has been a tale of focus and hunger to excel. Backed by a crowd of well-wishers, on a breezy Sunday morning Chikka produced a final day card of four-under 68 to take home the title.
With Chikka maintaining a healthy lead, the crowd swelled at the last hole and the spectators included his parents, among whom it was his mother’s maiden visit to watch her son play. What followed were momentous celebrations as Chikka ran across the greens, chased by captain Rashid Khan who dunked a couple of cola bottles on Chikka.
Another local boy Khalin Joshi finished tied fourth, while Ashbeer Saini was sixth.
In category B, Nattawat Suwajanakorn of Thailand claimed the top honours.
Final scores:
Team Standings: Boys: 855 (-9): Thailand; 866 (+2): India; 875 (+11): Chinese Taipei; 911 (+47): Philippines; 965(+101): Hong Kong.
Individual Championship: Category A: 272: Chikkarangappa (66, 68, 70, 68) (Ind); 278: Teng Kao (69, 64, 75, 70) (Taipei); 279: Poom Saksansin (68, 68, 71, 72) (Thai); 286: Jobim Antonio Carlos (71, 76, 69, 70) (Phi); 286: Khalin Joshi (73, 72, 69, 72) (Ind).
Category B: 289: Nattawat Suvajanakorn (75, 74, 70, 70) (Thai); 292: Sung-I Yu (74, 72, 76, 70) (Taipei); 294: Pariwat Pinsawat (77, 72, 68, 77) (Thai); 304: Angelo Jose Gandionco (79, 76, 73, 76) (Phi); 305: Marc Ong (78, 74, 77, 76) (S’pore).