New Delhi: The eighth Faldo Series India Championship will take place over two venues for the first time. During the week of October 9, boys will line up at Chandigarh Golf Club, home of 2011 Asia Grand Final champion Abhijit Chadha, while girls will compete at Tollygunge Golf Club in Kolkata. Indian golfers have claimed a total of three Faldo Series titles since the global golf development programme came to Asia in 2006.
Up to 130 golfers in total will take part in the 2012 India Championship – on October 9-12 for boys and October 10-12 for girls – and four will qualify for the seventh Faldo Series Asia Grand Final next March. The showpiece event at Mission Hills Golf Club in China was won by Chadha in 2011 and by Delhi’s Rashid Khan in 2007 and 2009.
With boys aged 12 to 18 competing in the 72-hole event at Chandigarh, two age-group winners will join Sir Nick Faldo at Mission Hills in March 2013. India’s top female golfers will also compete for two Grand Final spots over 54 holes at Tollygunge.
Both events will be hosted by the Indian Golf Union (IGU) which is committed to promoting junior golf in the country and rotates the annual Faldo Series event around different courses to ensure opportunity for players from all regions. The IGU’s junior programme, spread across different zones within the country, has produced medals in the last two Asian Games and a win in the Asian Juniors, in addition to Faldo Series Asia champions Khan and Chadha.
The Faldo Series India Championship is an important event within the IGU junior programme, providing incentive and motivation to India’s young golfers to test their skills and competence under challenging tournament conditions.
Established in 1996, 38 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in 28 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers participating each year. Past winners include Major champions Rory McIlroy and Yani Tseng.
The 2012/2013 Faldo Series Asia schedule features a record 18 tournaments in 15 countries, including four in mainland China and others in The Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand.
The Faldo Series Asia is supported by major partners ISPS, Mission Hills and The R&A, official golf wear partner UFL and official suppliers TaylorMade and Tricor. It is endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Federation.
By Indian Sports News Network
