Indian team finish runner- up

The Indian team, comprising Kolkata’s Viraj Madappa and Simarjeet Singh of Noda, finished runner- up at the 5th Nepal Amateur Open Golf Championship at the Gokarna Forest Golf Club in Kathmandu.

Madappa and Simarjeet, ranked second and sixth on the IGU amateur tour respectively, both returned scores of threeover 219 at the event, which was curtailed to 27 holes because of incessant rain.

Thailand’s Ekkarat Leksuwan and Sangchai Kaewcharoen clinched the title carding oneover 217.

As many as 51 golfers from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Thailand and Nepal participated in the event.

The three- day individual tournament that was played alongside, reduced to 45 holes, saw 17year- old Madappa finish fourth. He carded a three- day total of three- over 183.

The youngster had ended second at the Faldo Series in China a week ago.

Madappa, who has shot into prominence on the international arena quite recently, later said, “Playing in 10 degrees temperature in Kathmandu was a tough challenge as well as a great learning experience. I didn’t expect my score to be so good as it was raining heavily throughout the tournament.

“Somehow I managed to read the course well on the first day itself, which helped me put up a good score against top players from Saarc nations,” added Madappa.

Meanwhile, veteran Simarjeet, who has won a number of amateur events in the past, finished eighth on six- over 186.

Sixteen- year- old Thai Sangchai Kaewcharoen won in the individual championship, shooting a five- under 175 for a total of 180.

Madappa and Simarjeet returned scores of three- over 219 at the event, curtailed to 27 holes because of incessant rain