December 11, 2013: Karan Taunk produced another good round to lead India ‘B’ to victory and also emerge as the individual winner of the two-day Strokeplay event of the Tata Steel 113th Amateur Golf Championship of India being played at the Par-70 Bombay Presidency Golf Club here on Wednesday. Karan who submitted a card of 3-under 67 for a 36-hole total of 131, single-handedly steered the team to victory as his partner Trishul Chinnappa had rounds of 72 and 73 for a team total of 276.
The India A’ team of Udayan Mane and Manu Gandas finished second just a stroke behind the leaders. Bangladesh’s Mohd. Sajib Ali matched the day’s best card of 67 and along with his partner Md. Nazim lead his team to a third place finish at 282.
By the virtue of his victory, the Jamshedpur lad Karan heads into the matchplay event as the top seed followed by e overnight leader Viraj Madappa who shot 1-over 71 to finish second. Udayan Mane is seeded third while Md. Sajib Ali of Bangladesh will begin as the fourth seed.
Karan who had opened the tournament with a 64 began in a similar fashion today as he began in a whirlwind fashion making three birdies in the first four holes. However with a bogey on the last hole of his front nine, he was 2-under at the turn. Parring his way until the 15th the 24-year-old then made a birdie on the par-5 16th but made a double bogey on the next hole which he nullified the same making an eagle on the par-5 finishing hole.
“I am happy to finish on top but matchplay is a different ball game,” said Karan after the round. There are some good matchplay players in fray and it would be an interesting duel,” added the No.1 seed.
Top scores after 36 holes
131 Karan Taunk (India ‘B’) (64, 67); 134 Viraj Madappa (63, 71); 138 Udayan Mane (India ‘A’) (67, 71); 139 Md Sajib Ali (B’desh ‘A’) (72, 67), Manu Gandas (India ‘A’) (69, 70), Syed Saqib Ahmed (India ‘C’) (68, 71); 140 Vikram Rana (70, 70), Aman Raj (68, 72); 143 Md Nazim (B’desh A’) (72, 71); 144 Gagan Verma (72, 72), Samarth Dwivedi (India ‘C’) (72, 72), Ankur Chadha (71, 73)
Team standings
276 India ‘B’ (Karan Taunk, Trishul Chinnappa); 277 India ‘A’ (Udayan Mane, Manu Gandas); 282 Bangladesh ‘A’ (Md. Nazim, Md. Sajib Ali); 283 India ‘C’ (Syed Saqib Ahmed, Samarth Dwivedi)
