AR
Joshua Berry came through a four-man play-off to claim a maiden HotelPlanner Tour title on a gripping final day of the Kolkata Challenge at Royal Calcutta Golf Club.
Berry signed for a one over par round of 73 on the final day to share the 72-hole lead atop a congested leaderboard, before birdieing the second extra play-off hole to win from Norwegian Andreas Halvorsen, Austrian Lukas Nemecz and Om Prakash Chouhan from India.
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The 19-year-old, who broke the course record at Royal Calcutta on day two to climb into contention, was delighted to come through a tense final day to scoop the first win of his professional career.
“I’m absolutely buzzing,” he said. “This win is important and it’s good for my confidence as well. I know I can do it now, which I think is the key thing.
“I did feel some nerves but that’s what you practice for. I’m looking forward to watching that putt in the play-off back.
“You’ve always got to be confident going into a play-off but obviously it’s nerve-racking. You really want to win, and I just tried to hit one good shot at a time. Luckily, I holed that putt on the second extra hole. It’s a game of such fine margins.”
Berry started the day one shot clear at the top of the leaderboard, but on another testing day in Tollygunge, dropped shots on the first and seventh holes to fall one off the pace.
The Englishman made his first gain of the day at the par five 15th which saw him join three others in a tie for the lead on 11 under par.
Berry parred his way home, before heading back to the 18th tee for the first extra play-off hole alongside Halvorsen, Nemecz and Chouhan.
Berry parred the first extra hole, as did Halvorsen and Nemecz, before the Englishman holed a 20-foot birdie putt on the second play-off hole to clinch the title.
The 19-year-old, who climbs to fourth in the season-long Road to Mallorca Rankings, recorded his best DP World Tour finish three weeks ago with a tied seventh in the Magical Kenya Open presented by absa, and says confidence has been high ever since.
“I knew my game was there,” he added. “After Kenya, I went to the Investec South African Open Championship and didn’t play my best golf, but I had a week off last week to see the coaches and regroup.
“That gave me chance to think about what I’d done well, so to come here and do what I have, I’m so pleased.
“I learned a lot last year in my first year as a professional. I played 37 events between the DP World Tour and HotelPlanner Tour, so you’re going to learn a lot playing that many events. I love every bit of it though.”
Austrian Maximilian Steinlechner finished in fifth place on ten under par, with four-time DP World Tour winner, S.S.P. Chawrasia, carding a five under par 67 on the final day to end the week sixth on nine under par.
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The top three of the Road to Mallorca Rankings remain the same, with South African duo Daniel van Tonder and Wilco Nienaber first and second respectively, and Englishman Jamie Rutherford third.
Nemecz catapults up 66 places to ninth in the Rankings, with Steinlechner moving up 20 places to 12th.
The HotelPlanner Tour remains in India for the second of back-to-back events co-sanctioned with the Professional Golf Tour of India, with the Delhi Challenge taking place from March 20-23 at Classic Golf & Country Club in Gurugram.
Main Image: Getty Images
