Chikka cards round of the day as Suri stumbles at the last

By Rahul Banerji

Julian Suri negotiated the pitfalls of the DLF course better than most but tripped at the very end to fall into the clutches of Callum Shinkwin on 11-under as the Beast of the East had a bite at the field on the penultimate day of the $1.75 million Hero Indian Open on Saturday.

Bangalore boy Chikkarangappa S. (Chikka) made the most of Moving Day with a 6-under 66 that had seven birdies and one bogey and eased his way up to tied sixth on the leader-board even as bogeys dropped all around him.

Suri was going well in the lead at 13-under with three bogeys against six birdies, but the course finally snared him on the 18^th. The New Yorker hooked his drive into the water and sliced his third into the thick rough on the right side of the fairway.

Damage-limitation

From there on it was damage limitation all the way and the New Yorker walked off with a double bogey and a share of the lead with England’s Shinkwin – who balanced five birdies against one bogey – to open up the event completely.

Of the other Indians behind Chikka (74, 70, 66) still in the fray, Shubhankar Sharma was best placed on 3-under 213(69, 73, 71), one ahead Rashid Khan (214, 72, 70, 7) while 2016 and 2017 winner S.S.P. Chawrasia was in black territory on 1-over 217 (74, 72, 71). The others were well down the field..

At almost no point during the day did Suri ever come under serious pressure with a two, at time three-shot cushion on his pursuers.

Of them, only Shinkwin and Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura, who is in sole possession of third place on 9-under 207 (69, 70, 68) stayed on the pace with others like Maybank winner Scott Hend (211) of Australia and South African George Coetzee (210) fell away at one point or the other.

Happy golfer

In that sense, Chikka’s was by far the round of the day and as he said later, one bogey against seven birdies was a card he would take on this course very happily.

“I started with birdie birdie, which I think kind of gave me good momentum,” Chikka said later. “I hit it really good, literally hit every green in regulation and almost every fairway. Also made some very solid putts, very happy with the round.

“I guess seven birdies and one bogie on this course is a score I will take that on this golf course any day.”

Chikka, who saw a turnaround in fortunes with the Jeev Miklha Invitational title in Chandigarh late last year credited that success for his current frame of mind.

“I’ve been having a good stretch since that win,” he said. “I think that’s whereitI all started for me. It’s been going great sice them. I feel good about the game and all parts of my game are looking good and solid.

“Today’s round sets it up well for the last day Now just need to go out there and enjoy myself, the way I have been doing the past couple of months. No expectations. Just go out here and play happy golf.”

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