Bengaluru, August 12: Young talent Viraj Madappa delighted the home crowd when he closed with a four-under-par 67 to claim a two-shot victory for his first Asian Tour title at the TAKE Solutions Masters on Sunday.

Madappa, who came through the Asian Tour Qualifying School in January, became the record youngest Indian, at the age of 20 years and nine months, to win on the Asian Tour following his breakthrough at the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) Golf Course.

Apart from becoming the youngest Asian Tour winner from India, Madappa is also the first rookie and youngest player to win on Tour this season. He takes home a winner’s prize purse of US$63,000 and earned a one-year winner exemption on the region’s premier Tour.

Starting the final round two shots back, Madappa reeled in six pars before dropping a shot on the seventh. He bounced back brilliantly with five birdies to cap a winning total of 16-under-par 268 at the US$350,000 Asian Tour event.

Argentinean Miguel Carballo, who held a one-shot lead heading into the final round, rode on a birdie-par-eagle finish to sign for a 71, sharing second place with Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent (68), as well as Thailand’s Danthai Boonma (70) and Suradit Yongcharoenchai (66).

Home favourites Khalin Joshi, Honey Baisoya and S.S.P. Chawrasia settled for sixth place on 272 following respective rounds of 72, 70 and 70 at the TAKE Solutions Masters, which celebrated its second straight edition on the Asian Tour this week.

Thailand’s Pasavee Lertvilai recorded the second ace of the week on the par-three fourth hole after hitting an eight-iron from 180 yards. It was the third time he made a hole-in-one in a professional tournament. Pasavee ended his campaign in tied-33rd place on 280 following a 70.

Did you know?

• Viraj Madappa became the youngest Indian player to win on the Asian Tour after lifting the 2018 TAKE Solutions Masters trophy. He won at the age of 20 years and nine months, breaking the previous record set by Gaganjeet Bhullar, who was 21 years and three months old when he won his first Asian Tour title at the 2009 Indonesia President Invitational.
• Madappa is also the youngest winner on the Asian Tour this season.
• Madappa, who turned professional in 2017, made the grade in his first attempt at the Asian Tour Qualifying School in January. He is the first rookie to win on the Asian Tour this season.
• He hails from Kolkata but is now based in Bengaluru and trained by Tarun Sardesai at the Tarun Sardesai academy.
• Prior to his breakthrough, Madappa made only four cuts in eight starts on Tour this season, with his best result being a tied-14th place finish at the Royal Cup in Thailand last month.
• Madappa totaled one-under on the front-nine 34 and 15-under on the back-nine 37 on the 7,074 yards course this week.
• After graduating school, Madappa gained admission to the Texas A&M in the United States to study a Bachelor of Arts degree while playing on the college golf team in 2016. The young India, however, only stayed there for a semester before deciding to return home to play professional golf.
• Miguel Carballo marked his best result on the Asian Tour with the joint runner-up finish at the 2018 TAKE Solutions Masters. Starting the round with a one-shot advantage, Carballo dropped three bogeys in his first 15 holes but fought back to an even-par 71 with a solid birdie-par-eagle finish.
• Like Madappa, Carballo also came through the Qualifying School in his first attempt earlier in January.
• Carballo has notched five top-10s in seven starts on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) so far this season. He sits in fourth place on the current ADT Order of Merit.
• Carballo enjoyed a tied-fifth place finish on the region’s premier Tour at the Asia-Pacific Classic in China earlier in May.
• Carballo turned professional in 2002. Hails from Bahia Blanca, Argentina. He is the only Argentinean member on the Asian Tour. Also a former player on the PGA Tour in 2012.
• Suradit Yongcharoenchai matched his career-best finish on the Asian Tour with his joint runner-up finish this week. He last came in tied-second at the 2016 Indonesian Masters.
• The 19-year-old Thai ended his 2017 season in 43rd place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, thereby keeping his card for 2018.
• Prior to this week, Suradit has endured three consecutive missed cuts on the Asian Tour. He also bettered his result at the TAKE Solutions Masters where he took seventh place last year.

Players’ quotes:

Viraj MADAPPA (IND) – Final round 67 (-4), Total 268 (-16)

I am really surprised. It hasn’t really sink in yet and I’m feeling a lot of emotions. I don’t know which one to feel. I don’t know what to say. It’s been a roller-coaster since I came through the Qualifying School. I was playing good golf then but I went through a slump after that.

A lot of hard work at that point of time. I really worked hard with my coach and my whole team, just to keep me going. I am very happy that I did all the work I could to win today. It has paid off.

It’s incredible really. My family has been very supportive. My mum is here with me today. It was great to see all the kids from the academy out here today. They were all like between six to 15 years old. They were probably the loudest in the crowd. You could tell it was them in the crowd.

I was riding off their energy. Winning the tournament did cross my mind when I birdied the 16th hole but I was just trying to stay in the presence and hit every shot I could the right way. I think I did a good job there. I didn’t back off from the situation, even though I had the opportunity to lay up on 18th hole. I decided to go for the green and I’m proud that I made that decision.

I am going back home to Kolkata to celebrate with my family tonight and spend some time at home. I wasn’t looking at the leaderboard on the 18th. I only looked at it before I chipped. I was aggressive with that chip. I knew I had a two-shot lead then but I felt relieved after chipping it back to the green.

It’s been a tough journey. A lot of hard work has been put in from all members of my team. I had a good feeling on the 15th tee box. I was one shot back at that point. I can’t explain but I just felt very good and very confident. I kind of knew it was my day right then.

I was -15 on the back nine and one-under-par on the front-nine. I was talking to my coach after the round yesterday and we were discussing if I could get off to some kind of a good start on the front nine. The back nine holes really suits my eyes.

It was really tough on the front nine. It was very windy. I just quite stressed actually but I was just trying to hit good shots. When Vincent eagled the 10, I knew he was three shots ahead but felt it was alright because I still have my birdie putt and I have been playing well on the back nine. Furthermore, there are still a lot more holes to go.

I just had to keep doing what I have been doing over the weekend and I will be fine. It turned out nicely for me. I really got a good feeling heading to the 15th tee box. I honestly thought I will be seriously nervous because I had a terrible sleep last night.

I think it was just the energies from the crowd, the kids from the academy, that made the difference today. They were so supportive. My game plan was the same for the last three days. It was just a combination of everything.

I think we have a lot of great players on the international Tours. It’s just a matter of time before we all start performing on the bigger stage. Through the week, I made some very good club decisions. I didn’t back off even until the last hole.

I moved to Bengaluru recently and it definitely felt like home ground to me. A lot of people came out to watch me too. The crowd support was incredible. I just felt like it was my day. I switched my coach in 2016, just before I went to the United States for college.

We had a lot to work on. It’s been a lot of work and the last time we discuss, it wasn’t going to work if I stay in Kolkata playing events. I was not going to see him so I decided to move to Bengaluru and work on my game from the academy here.

I haven’t been home to Kolkata for almost three to four months now. I think it was a big decision and sacrifice that we were willing to make but it has been successful with this win. We still have a lot of work to do but it just gives us a lot of positives as we are working in the right direction.

My coach and I had a lot to work on. I was really disconnected my swing. I was just trying to get the swing sequence right and get the club in position. I have gotten better with that and more consistent as well.

This win will definitely change my schedule for the rest of the year. I don’t know where I will be playing now. But it’s a relief that I have secured my card for next year as well and I will be getting to a lot of bigger events.

The satisfaction that you’re doing the right thing. Coming off the qualifying School, I didn’t think I was good enough. But the efforts have definitely paid off now. I spent a semester which is about four months in Texas and I came back here. I didn’t have a good time over there. I learned a lot of golf myself. But I wouldn’t say the experience didn’t help.

I think the most invaluable experience that I have had before this week was at the All India Amateur Championship in 2012. I played with Shubhankar Sharma the whole week and I lost to him. I knew at that point of time that I want to do this for the rest of my life.

It’s good just knowing that I could perform under that pressure. End of 2015, it was a very difficult period of time for me. My scoring average was about 75 to 76 and it was the time when I was really questioning myself.

I think it was just from that time that I started working really very hard. That period of tough time has helped me learn a lot.

Suradit YONGCHAROENCHAI (THA) – Final round 66 (-5), Total 270 (-14)

I played really good today. I hit very good approach shots but wasn’t able to make putts on some holes. On the par-five 14th, I drove it to the fairway and lay up and from 100 yards, I hit it to within a few inches for a tap-in birdie.

Before this week, I had three consecutive missed cuts. I am very happy with how I played this week. Even though I missed out on the win, I am happy that I better my seventh-place result from last year.

I will take a lot of positives from this week and this result will definitely boost my confidence moving forward.

Scott VINCENT (ZIM) – Final round 68 (-3), Total 270 (-14)

I started great today, put myself in the driver’s seat. Obviously disappointed as I didn’t handle the pressure really well. I just made too many mistakes towards the end and just couldn’t seem to get it back.

I hit a good tee shot on the par-four 10th, hit it to the front edge of the green and made a really long putt for eagle. I was just trying to hit it close but it was a perfect line and the ball just rolled in.

It’s been a good week. Starting the week, I didn’t feel like I had the game this week. Even till today, it has been a bit of a fight all week. To be in contention, I couldn’t have asked for more. Just really wished I could have finished it well.

Viraj and I were both playing very well. Obviously, I got a jump-start on him with three shots up. It was all in my hands but all credits to him, he made birdies when he needed to and handled the pressure well.

Miguel CARBALLO (ARG) – Final round 71 (even-par), Total 270 (-14)

I am glad with the way I finished today, birdie-par-eagle. It has been a long day in the wind. I wasn’t able to hit it close to the pins. My putting wasn’t good too. I sank the birdie putt from four yards on the 16th and made another eagle putt from nine yards on the 18th! I hit the green in two on the last. I was a nice way to finish and fight back to even-par.

This is my second week in Bengaluru and I am very pleased with my result. I played well these two weeks. This is also my best finish on the Asian Tour so far. I saw the leaderboard on the back nine and I saw a lot of guys were catching up but I just played my own game.

Scores after round 4 of the Take Solutions Masters being played at the par 71, 7074 Yards Karnataka Golf Association course (am – denotes amateur):

268 – Viraj MADAPPA (IND) 70-65-66-67.

270 – Suradit YONGCHAROENCHAI (THA) 66-69-69-66, Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 66-71-65-68, Danthai BOONMA (THA) 66-61-73-70, Miguel CARBALLO (ARG) 66-66-67-71.

272 – S.S.P. CHAWRASIA (IND) 69-65-68-70, Honey BAISOYA (IND) 70-66-66-70, Khalin JOSHI (IND) 67-69-64-72.

273 – Chikkarangappa S. (IND) 69-64-68-72.

274 – Josh YOUNGER (AUS) 71-69-68-66, Poom SAKSANSIN (THA) 71-67-70-66, Jake MCLEOD (AUS) 67-69-70-68, Anura ROHANA (LKA) 67-69-68-70, Om Prakash CHOUHAN (IND) 67-70-67-70, Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 69-68-65-72.

275 – Matt KILLEN (ENG) 68-68-72-67, Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND) 70-71-68-66, Jason KNUTZON (USA) 69-71-68-67, Chanachok DEJPIRATANAMONGKOL (THA) 69-70-69-67, M. DHARMA (IND) 68-73-65-69, Karandeep KOCHHAR (IND) 69-69-67-70.

276 – Maverick ANTCLIFF (AUS) 67-65-70-74.

277 – Harimohan SINGH (am, IND) 69-69-70-69, Aadil BEDI (am, IND) 68-71-69-69, Aman RAJ (IND) 69-68-69-71.

278 – Settee PRAKONGVECH (THA) 67-71-71-69, Himmat RAI (IND) 69-70-69-70, Rashid KHAN (IND) 71-68-69-70.

Ends.

About Asian Tour

As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), Panasonic (Official Consumer Electronics), Habitat for Humanity (Official Sustainable Development Partner), ECCO (Official Footwear Sponsor), Titleist and FootJoy (Official Web Partner), Bloomberg TV (Official International Media Partner), Bloomberg Businessweek Chinese (Official International Media Partner), Wall Street Journal (Official International Media Partner) and Sentosa in Singapore which is the Home of the Asian Tour which also has an office in Kuala Lumpur.