CHENNAI, India, Sept 21 (ePRESS) – Sri Lankan veteran golfer N. Thangaraja produced a masterclass of skill and calmness to win the Chennai Open, lifting his sixth PGTI title in front of a stunned field of 57 professionals at the Cosmo TNGF Golf Course.
From the first round, the 44-year-old from Colombo showed he was in control. He shot rounds of 69, 66, 63 and 73 to finish with a total of 17-under-par 271. His sizzling third-round 63 became the turning point, giving him a lead that he defended with courage on the last day.
Even though he ended with a modest one-over 73 on the final afternoon, it was enough. Thangaraja stayed calm as challengers closed in, and he won by a single shot, a margin small in numbers but huge in its drama.
Golf, at this level, is more than power. It is about control of body and mind. Thangaraja showed how science and discipline combine in sport. His swing tempo stayed steady. His decision-making was careful. He chose when to attack with birdies and when to play safe with pars.
The third round was his scientific blueprint in action. Birdies came in bunches, mistakes were rare, and even on tough holes where others dropped shots, he held his ground. That round of 63 created daylight between him and the rest – a lead that proved decisive.
Three Indian players, Amardeep Malik of Noida, Shaurya Bhattacharya of Delhi and Manu Gandas of Gurugram, all tied second on 16-under 272. Malik even closed with an eagle to scare the leader, but Thangaraja did not flinch.
Among the five overseas players from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, only Thangaraja rose to the summit. His fellow Sri Lankan finished 38th with an even-par tally, earning INR 87,950.
This was Thangaraja’s second win of the season on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI). The victory carried not only pride but also a cheque of INR 15 lakh, lifting him from 12th to sixth on the 2025 PGTI Order of Merit.
“I just tried to stay in the moment,” he said afterwards. “Golf can change with one hole, so I told myself to stay calm. This win is special.”
The Chennai Open, powered by CPCL, offered INR 10 million in prize money, but it gave much more: a stage for human drama. For Thangaraja, it was the science of practice meeting the art of performance. For Indian golf, it was a reminder that overseas players can still shine on their soil.
At 44, with six career PGTI wins, Thangaraja’s story is not only about trophies. It is about resilience, precision, and the human capacity to stay steady under pressure. His triumph in Chennai will be remembered not just for the numbers on the card, but for the lesson in patience and poise it gave to all who watched.
