Resilient Chikka claws back to make final
BANGALORE: Looking down and out for the better part of his semifinal clash against Sri Lanka's N Thangaraja, defending champion S Chikkarangappa dug deep into his reserves on the return journey to move a step closer to adding another feather to his cap.
The 17-year-old Bangalorean came up with a birdie on the 14th hole to make it all-square and then saved par on the 17th hole to edge out the Sri Lankan 1-up and make it an all-Bangalore affair in the 110th all-India Amateur Golf Championship at the KGA here.
In the 36-hole title clash on Sunday, Chikka takes on Pritam Haridass, who edged out good friend and playing partner Udayan Mane 3 and 2 in the other semifinal.
The 17-year-old Chikka, who has been struggling with his game, allowed Thangaraja go 2-up early on, more due to his largesse than anything spectacular on the Lankan's part. He nearly went out of bounds on the third hole and duly lost the hole. On the fourth, he three-putted for another bogey.
The Bangalorean did pull one back with a par on the par-3, where his rival found the water with his tee-shot. It was Chikka's turn to go into the water on the ninth to go 2- down again. Just when things began to look bleak, Chikka holed a 10-foot birdie on the 12th to pull one back and made it all-square on the par-5, 14th hole with another birdie.
Thangaraja's first false stroke of the day handed Chikka the advantage on the 17th hole. The Sri Lankan's four-foot par putt lipped out, and Chikka, not to look a gift horse in the mouth, kept his cool on the final hole to make his second straight final.
The 17-year-old Bangalorean came up with a birdie on the 14th hole to make it all-square and then saved par on the 17th hole to edge out the Sri Lankan 1-up and make it an all-Bangalore affair in the 110th all-India Amateur Golf Championship at the KGA here.
In the 36-hole title clash on Sunday, Chikka takes on Pritam Haridass, who edged out good friend and playing partner Udayan Mane 3 and 2 in the other semifinal.
The 17-year-old Chikka, who has been struggling with his game, allowed Thangaraja go 2-up early on, more due to his largesse than anything spectacular on the Lankan's part. He nearly went out of bounds on the third hole and duly lost the hole. On the fourth, he three-putted for another bogey.
The Bangalorean did pull one back with a par on the par-3, where his rival found the water with his tee-shot. It was Chikka's turn to go into the water on the ninth to go 2- down again. Just when things began to look bleak, Chikka holed a 10-foot birdie on the 12th to pull one back and made it all-square on the par-5, 14th hole with another birdie.
Thangaraja's first false stroke of the day handed Chikka the advantage on the 17th hole. The Sri Lankan's four-foot par putt lipped out, and Chikka, not to look a gift horse in the mouth, kept his cool on the final hole to make his second straight final.
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