Kapil Dev addressed the media, along with the Dy. Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Arun Sao, as PGTI listed 11 golf tournaments for the first half of the year. Rohan Govil, COO of Calance, Vishal Lohia, Executive Director of Indorama, Rahul Mehta, Owner of Victorious choice and the PGTI CEO, Amandeep Johl, also made their points. | Photo: Special Arrangement
The president of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), Kapil Dev, said he was delighted to take golf to Chhattisgarh, as he announced a series of 11 events for the first half of the season, in a press conference at the Delhi Golf Club on Monday.
The Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Arun Sao, was present at the media briefing, adding that everyone would have a memorable experience at the Fairway Golf and Lake Resort in Naya Raipur in the ₹1 crore golf event to be played from February 25 to 28.
The CEO of PGTI, Amandeep Johl, called the course in Naya Raipur “most picturesque besides a lake” and added that he would not be surprised if plane loads of people started visiting the course after the players flash a million photos around the world during the tournament.
Former India cricket captain Kapil hoped that more states would follow the example of Chhattisgarh to develop golf in particular and sport in general.
The season will open with the Players championship at the Tollygunge Club in Kolkata, on February 11. The following week, the event will be in Ahmedabad, with Raipur having the third event from February 25. Ahmedabad will have another event in the first week of March.
The Kolkata Challenge $300,000 event will be held at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club from March 13. The following week, the Classic golf and Country Club in Gurugram will host the $3,00,000 Delhi Challenge.
The Hero Indian Open with $2.25 million prize money is scheduled to be held at the DLF Golf and Country club in Gurugram from March 27 to 30.
Jaypee Greens in Greater Noida will host the ₹1.5 crore invitational event from April 1 to 4. The Indorama Open ₹2 crore event is scheduled at the Kalhaar Blues and Greens in Ahmedabad from April 9.
Another sponsor Calance will partner for the ₹1 crore event at a venue in the Delhi NCR from April 15, before Kapil Dev’s Grant Thornton Invitational at the Prestige Golfshire in Bengaluru from April 22.
“Last year we had events for nine weeks in a row. And this time we have 11 weeks in a row, offering 35 crore in prize in all, including the $2.25 million Hero event,” Amandeep Johl said.
Pleased to strengthen the golf ecosystem, Kapil said that young players returning scores of 20-under was equivalent to a player scoring a triple century in a Test match.
“To shoot 20-under means no mistake on any day,” Kapil said in admiration at the increasing standard of Indian golf.
It was also announced that there would be Next-Gen events with ₹20 lakh prize money, for young players who are not in the top-60, in less known golf cities like Kapurthala, Phillaur and Lucknow.
Published – January 13, 2025 07:21 pm IST
