Leading Indian golfer, including S.S.P. Chowrasia, would vie for honours in the Rs.3 million prize money Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) championship beginning here Wednesday.
The four-day tournament, that ends June 21, is being held at the Royal Calcutta Golf club - the oldest golf club outside the British Isles. The stellar field of players includes stars like Gaurav Ghei, Rahil Gangjee, Ashok Kumar, Mukesh Kumar, Rahul Ganapathy, Harendra Gupta, Arjun Singh, Digvijay Singh, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Feroz Ali Mollah.
The tourney, the first professional golf event hosted by the city in about two-and-a- half years, would be followed by a Pro-Am competition June 22, said PGTI tour commissioner Ajai Gupta here Tuesday.
The Royal Calcutta Golf Club event comes close on the heels of the inaugural PGTI Players Championship played in Chandigarh which witnessed the first three-way playoff for a title on the PGTI before Harendra Gupta emerged victorious.
With the city lashed by heavy rains since Monday, Gangjee said the slushy field would be advantageous for long hitters. “The weather makes it a little more difficult task for the golfers,” he said.
Replying to queries, Gupta said the PGTI would hold four events annually - Chandigarh in the north, Kolkata in the east, Coimbatore in the south and Pune in the west are the selected venues.
“Professional golf in India is restructuring itself. We are now recognised by the international tour. We are also looking at the future to bring back one or two international events,” he said.
From theIndian
