Ahmedabad: The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), ‘the official sanctioning body of professional golf in India’, will stage the third edition of the PGTI Ahmedabad Masters presented by Kalhaar Blues & Greens from September 13 – 16, 2016.
The 10th tournament of the 2016 PGTI season, carrying a prize purse of Rs. 30 lakh, will be played at the world-class Kalhaar Blues & Greens golf course in Ahmedabad. The Pro-Am event will be played on September 17, 2016.
The tournament will feature some of India’s most well-known professionals including the likes of Asian Tour regulars Rashid Khan and Chikkarangappa as well as 2016 Rolex Rankings leader Shubhankar Sharma and defending champion Khalin Joshi.
The other prominent Indian names in the field are Ajeetesh Sandhu, Shamim Khan, Mukesh Kumar, Udayan Mane, Harendra Gupta and Feroz Ali Mollah, to name a few.
Asian Tour regular Mithun Perera of Sri Lanka is the biggest foreign name in the field. The other prominent overseas players are Sri Lankans N Thangaraja and Anura Rohana as well as Australian Kunal Bhasin and Bangladesh’s Md Zamal Hossain Mollah.
The local challenge will be led by Ahmedabad-based amateur golfers, Anshul Patel, Varun Parikh, Jay Pandya, Aaron Rockey, Basavaraj Appi and Divesh Rana.
Mr. Devang Shah, Managing Director, Navratna Organisers & Developers Pvt. Ltd., said, “It is our pleasure to host the third edition of PGTI Ahmedabad Masters presented by Kalhaar Blues & Greens. It is an excellent field and can't wait to crown the worthy champion. This is a part of our continued efforts to grow the game in this part of India. It is also an excellent opportunity for our juniors/amateurs to show their skills and learn from the best of the game of our country.”
Announcing the event, Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, Director, PGTI, said, “It promises to be a week of high-quality golf as the immaculate conditions at the Kalhaar Blues & Greens will provide the perfect setting for India’s best talent to showcase their skills.
“The PGTI Ahmedabad Masters presented by Kalhaar Blues & Greens, now into its third year, has emerged as one of the premier tournaments in the western region of the country. We look forward to continuing our association with the Navratna Group in order to further popularize professional golf in Gujarat.”
The Kalhaar Blues & Greens is a world-class championship course developed by the Navratna Group and designed by ‘Nicklaus Design’, a company owned by the legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus. The course complies with the United States Golf Association (USGA) specifications.
The par-72 course is spread over 175 acres and plays to 7425 yards from the championship tees, making it the longest golf course in India. The layout offers unique challenges such as sand and beach bunkers and 14 water bodies. The course also features a scenic ‘Island green’ on Hole No. 7 – a 174 yards, Par-3.