KOLKATA – Dec. 27, 2004 – Joseph Chakola gave himself the perfect Christmas gift when he beat A.S. Lehal 5&4 to win the Goodricke East India Amateur golf Championship, which concluded at the par-70 Royal Calcutta Golf Club on Saturday.
The event was a part of the Eastern Swing on the Royal Challenge Indian Golf
Tour.

The final, which was a 36-hole affair, witnessed Chakola on top from the very beginning. The Coimbatore lad first got into the lead on the fourth hole when opponent Lehal’s second shot hit the tank and the recovery cost him a bogey. Chakola made par. He then went on to win the next three holes to be 4-up after seven holes, the score-line reading the same after both tied the eighth and ninth holes.

Chakola then claimed the tenth hole with the next two being halved. Then Lehal won his first hole of the match when he made par as against Chakola’s bogey on the 13th hole. The score was now 4-up in Chakola’s favor. The following hole saw Chakola’s putter make magic when he sank a difficult left-to-right, 30-feet long putt to record a birdie with Lehal scoring a par.

With both players making birdies on the 15th hole, Lehal claimed the 16th for his own. On the 17th the Chandigarh player missed a birdie and a chance to halve another hole when his ball stopped right at the edge of the cup. With Chakola making a birdie on this hole and a par on the next, he had a comfortable lead of six against his name at the end of 18 holes.

The second round began with Lehal taking charge as he made a birdie on the 19th with Chakola having to contend with a par. Lehal then went on to win the next hole and tied the 21st with Chakola. The score at this stage was 4-up in favour of Chakola who then claimed the 22d, 23rd and 25th holes for himself to be 7-up. He bettered this score by one on the 28th when he recorded par against Lehal’s bogey. Lehal won the next three holes – 29th, 30th, 31st - on a trot but it was too late by then. He was still five holes down and there were just four holes left to play.

For 20-year old Chakola, the day was even more special since this was his first win in the City of Joy. “Even though I have been coming to Kolkata for events since I was 14 years old, this is my maiden title and I am obviously delighted beyond words”, said a visibly elated Chakola.

The prizes were given away by Mr K David, MD Goodricke Group Ltd. in a gala ceremony that followed the final round.