Madappa, Joshi, Chikkarangappa to lead home challenge in Gurugram golf tourney

The trio of Viraj Madappa, S Chikkarangappa and Khalin Joshi will spearhead the home challenge at the inaugural USD 300,000 Classic Golf and Country Club International Championship starting here on Thursday.

The three Indians will take on the in-form Korean Taehee Lee and Japan's Masahiro Kawamura. Lee and Kawamura finished fourth and fifth respectively in the Habitat for Humanity Standings for the Asian Tour's Order of Merit.

Bank BRI Indonesia Open winner, Miguel Carballo of Argentina will be another strong contender alongside South African Daniel Van Tonder, who comes in with four top-15 finishes in last five starts on Asian and Sunshine Tour in Africa.

 

Sweden's Malcolm Kokocinski, who had a very strong showing in 2018, including a maiden win in Bangladesh Open, will also be gunning for the title.

While Madappa, Joshi and Kokocinski achieved their maiden breakthrough wins last year and full exemption onto the Asian Tour, Taehee and Carballo have won this season to signal their arrival.

The other Indian challengers include Rashid Khan and Ajeetesh Sandhu.

Rashid has two wins from 11 starts this season, both on the PGTI, and six other Top-10s, including two on the Asian Tour. While

Ajeetesh, who won in Chinese Taipei in 2017, has had five other Top-3 finishes in last two and a half seasons.

The Classic Golf and County Club, which last saw an international event a decade ago, is in top shape and a lot tougher than it was when Thailand's Chapchai Nirat won the Asian Tour event with a world record score of 32 under par 256.

With the course conditions more challenging, Khalin looked at 16-under as a likely winning score. With a field of 156 contesting the event that will be played at the par-72 course over 7,114 yards, it promises to be a tough test.

"It will be up to each one to adapt as best as possible here. Putting together four good rounds will be testing, but that is why we play. I have played here before but not in these conditions and while the course looks in great shape, it will demand accurate play," Madappa said

"The setup we have seen in the last two days is such that you can attack the fairways and greens, but accuracy will be the key. The roughs are testing, and you need to stay on the fairway as much as possible," he added.