Viraj Madappa erased a three-shot deficit with a bogey-free 64, defeating overnight leader Ajeetesh Sandhu by one stroke at TNGF Cosmo Golf Course.
Viraj Madappa produced a flawless final-round 64 to win the INR 1 crore Chennai Open 2026 Powered by Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) by one stroke.
The 28-year-old from Kolkata (72-67-63-64) made eight birdies to finish at 22-under 266, overturning a three-shot overnight deficit and securing his fourth professional title.
After opening with an even-par 72, Madappa played his final three rounds in a remarkable 22-under. His weekend scores of 63 and 64 proved decisive as he steadily reeled in Ajeetesh Sandhu.
“I probably didn’t expect to be in this position after the opening day,” Madappa said. “Making eight birdies without a bogey made it a near-perfect final round. To play 22-under over the last three rounds and win is extremely satisfying.”
The victory was Madappa’s first since the DP World PGTI Players Championship at Classic Golf and Country Club in April 2025. He collected INR 15 lakh and climbed from 44th to 22nd on the Order of Merit, securing his place in the DP World India Championship.
Sandhu (65-66-68-68) made five birdies against one bogey in his closing 68 but could not hold off Madappa. He finished second at 21-under 267, earned INR 10 lakh and moved up to 15th in the season standings.
Amardeep Malik shot 67 to take third at 17-under, one stroke ahead of Rashid Khan, who closed with a 66. Veer Ahlawat finished fifth at 15-under.
Race to the DP World India Championship leader Saptak Talwar shared eighth at 12-under, while defending champion N Thangaraja tied for 19th at 8-under.
Madappa also maintained his off-course routine until the end, revealing that he ate three dosas before the final round and planned to celebrate with a few more.
Photo – PGTI / Champion Viraj Madappa (3rd from right) receives his trophy from Mr. H Shankar, MD, CPCL (3rd from left), Mr. Kannan, Director, Operations, CPCL (2nd from left), Mr. Venkatesh, Director, Technical, CPCL (extreme left), Mr. Adi Saravanan, Honorary Associate Secretary, TNGF (2nd from right) and Mr. Vikas Singh, Chief Business Officer, DP World PGTI (extreme right)
