Joshua Berry Triumphs in Play-Off to Secure Maiden HotelPlanner Tour Title
Seoul, Korea - Joshua Berry emerged victorious in a dramatic four-man play-off to claim his first HotelPlanner Tour title at the Kolkata Challenge, held at Royal Calcutta Golf Club. The 19-year-old Englishman sealed the win on the second extra hole, overcoming Norway’s Andreas Halvorsen, Austria’s Lukas Nemecz, and India’s Om Prakash Chouhan.
Berry, who set a course record at Royal Calcutta on day two to put himself in contention, carded a one-over-par 73 in the final round to finish tied for the 72-hole lead at 11-under-par. In the play-off, he holed a decisive 20-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole to clinch the title and mark the first professional victory of his career.
“I’m absolutely buzzing,” said Berry. “This win is important and great for my confidence. I know I can do it now, which I think is key. I did feel some nerves, but that’s what you practice for. You have to stay confident in a play-off, even though it’s nerve-racking. You really want to win, so I just focused on hitting one good shot at a time. Fortunately, I holed that putt, and it’s a game of such fine margins.”
Starting the final round with a one-shot lead, Berry faced an early setback with bogeys on the first and seventh holes, dropping him out of the lead. However, a crucial birdie on the par-five 15th saw him climb back into a four-way tie at the top. He held steady with pars over the closing holes, forcing a play-off against Halvorsen, Nemecz, and Chouhan.
All four players returned to the 18th tee for the play-off, where Berry, Halvorsen, and Nemecz matched pars on the first extra hole. On the second, Berry seized the moment by sinking his long birdie putt, securing a memorable victory.
The young Englishman, who now moves to fourth in the season-long Road to Mallorca Rankings, has been building momentum in recent weeks. His confidence has been on the rise since finishing tied seventh at the DP World Tour’s Magical Kenya Open.
“I knew my game was in a good place,” he said. “After Kenya, I went to the Investec South African Open Championship but didn’t play my best golf. Having a week off last week to see my coaches and reset helped me reflect on what I was doing well. To come here and get this win is an amazing feeling.
“I learned a lot in my first year as a professional. Playing 37 events across the DP World Tour and HotelPlanner Tour taught me so much. I love every bit of it.”
Austrian Maximilian Steinlechner finished fifth at ten under par, while four-time DP World Tour winner S.S.P. Chawrasia closed with a superb five-under-par 67 to claim sixth place at nine under.
The top three in the Road to Mallorca Rankings remain unchanged, with South African duo Daniel van Tonder and Wilco Nienaber in first and second place, followed by England’s Jamie Rutherford in third. Nemecz’s strong performance sees him climb 66 places to ninth in the standings, while Steinlechner moves up 20 spots to 12th.
The HotelPlanner Tour remains in India for another event co-sanctioned with the Professional Golf Tour of India. The Delhi Challenge will take place from 20-23 March at Classic Golf & Country Club in Gurugram.