Chawrasia, Chikka look for home advantage
The last Asian tour event held here was the Indian Open, five years ago.
Bengaluru: Over the last few years, the Garden City has emerged as one of the powerhouses of golf. And the city gets its due as the inaugural TAKE Solutions Masters, an Asian Tour tournament gets underway here the Karnataka Golf Association on Thursday.
The last Asian tour event held here was the Indian Open, five years ago. The KGA, which has been a happy hunting ground for a host of Indian stars, will see a clutch of Asian tour winners vying for the winner’s cheque over the next few days.
Leading the Indian contingent will be the seasoned S.S.P. Chawrasia along with local favourite S. Chikkarangappa. The in-form Shiv Kapur will also be in action along with Indian stalwart Jeev Milkha Singh.
With the winning record tilting towards the Indians on home soil, recent Asian Tour winner Nicholas Fung from Malaysia will look to back up his first Asian Tour win in the Queen’s Cup in June with another title at the KGA.
Meanwhile, SSP, who is coming on the back of two missed-cuts in Europe, hopes his home record will work in his favour.
One of the established golfers on the Indian circuit, SSP, will look to capitalise on the home advantage, as a win or a second-place finish would see the Indian, currently placed second, climb to the top of the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
Speaking on the eve of the tournament, a jovial SSP said, “Bangalore has always been one of my favourite courses and the conditions are always great here at KGA. I will play my best and have a good week, and if anyone plays better then they can have the trophy.”
Meanwhile, top contender Chikka will look to win his maiden Asian tour title, and what could be better than doing it at home turf. The Karnataka golfer, who has won the Take Solutions title while it was on the Asian Development Tour in 2014 and 2015, will hope for a repeat show. The Bengaluru lad, who hasn’t had the best of seasons, is banking on his good record at the KGA to land him the title.
“The field is good but I am playing at home. I’ve had a rusty 2017 and hope to turn it around. The pressure of playing at home and fans backing me has a positive effect on me and I push myself more,” said Chikka.