Chikka emerges overall champion, India end runners-up

Bangalore: Chikkarangappa won the Asian Pacific Junior Golf Championship after firing a splendid final round of four-under 68 as India ended runners-up in the team event at the Eagleton Golf Resort.

In his six-stroke win, Chikka totalled 16-under 272 for the tournament while Taipei`s Teng Kao finished second and further one stroke back was Poom Saksanin. Notwithstanding Chikka`s super show, India had to be content with second place finish in the team event, as Thailand?made up of Nattawat Suwajanakorn, Pariwat Pinasawat, Rattanon Wannasrichan and Poom Saksansin--pocketed the trophy by a comfortable margin of 11 shots.Starting with a three-shot lead, the 16-year-old Chikka got his first birdie on the par-4 fourth hole and went on to add one more birdie on the par-5 sixth and another one on the par-4 eighth. The Bangalore lad dropped a shot on the par-4 10th but it didn`t set off any alarm bells as he bounced back with birdies on the 13th and 16th to march towards a comfortable win."It is just wonderful to win this title. To miss out on the team championship was disappointing but I played very well today and bettered my best ever four-day total by three shots," he said after winning the trophy. "Now that I have won this tournament, I really want to play well enough to make it to the Indian team for the Asian Games and hopefully win a Gold medal for the country." PTI