CHENNAI, SEP 11 (IANS): Kolkata golfer Viraj Madappa produced a bogey-free eight-under 64 to overturn a three-shot deficit and win the INR 1 crore Chennai Open 2026 by one stroke at the TNGF Cosmo Golf Course.
The 28-year-old, who became the youngest Indian to win on the Asian Tour in 2018, carded rounds of 72-67-63-64 to finish at 22-under 266, securing his fourth professional title. Madappa collected INR 15 lakh, moving from 44th to 22nd on the PGTI Order of Merit with season earnings of INR 23.9 lakh, and confirmed his place in the DP World India Championship.
Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu, the overnight leader, closed with a four-under 68 but finished runner-up at 21-under 267. He earned INR 10 lakh and climbed to 15th in the standings. Amardeep Malik of Noida finished third at 17-under 271, while Delhi’s Rashid Khan claimed fourth at 16-under 272. Gurugram’s Veer Ahlawat rounded out the top five at 15-under 273.
Madappa credited his disciplined approach and mental focus for the turnaround, saying he had been “playing reasonably well without scoring” but managed his opportunities better this week.
He followed his third-round 63 with a flawless final round, erasing Sandhu’s advantage with eight birdies.
The champion humorously revealed that dosas had been part of his daily routine during the week, adding he would celebrate with more once home.
Meanwhile, Saptak Talwar, leader of the Race to India Championship, finished tied eighth at 12-under 276, extending his advantage at the top of the standings. Defending champion N Thangaraja of Sri Lanka ended tied 19th at eight-under 280.
Saturday, September 12, 2026