Bengaluru, Karnataka, 04-12-2018

Indo-MIM Presents Bengaluru Open Golf Championship 2018 Powered By Britannia, GoAir and Principal Partner Karnataka Tourism from December 6 – 9

Leading golfers Chiragh Kumar, Udayan Mane, Rashid Khan, Honey Baisoya, Mithun Perera, will tee off on December 6 and play for a Prize Purse of Rs. 60

The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) will be staging the Indo-MIM Presents Bengaluru Open Golf Championship 2018 Powered By Britannia, GoAir and Principal Partner Karnataka Tourism, from December 6 – 9, 2018, at the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) course.

The tournament which offers a prize purse of Rs. 60 lakh has Indo-MIM as its Presenting Partner, Britannia & GoAir as its ‘Powered By' Partners and Karnataka Tourism as its Principal Partner. The Pro-Am event will tee off on December 5.

The tournament, into its second edition, will feature a strong field with some of India's top professionals participating such as Rashid Khan, Chiragh Kumar, defending champion Udayan Mane and Honey Baisoya, to name a few. A total of 126 players will be competing at the event.

There will be a strong local presence with the likes of Syed Saqib Ahmed, M Dharma and C Muniyappa, all Bengaluru-based professionals, being part of the field. The prominent foreign names in the field include the Sri Lankan quartet of Mithun Perera, Anura Rohana, N Thangaraja and K Prabagaran, Bangladesh's Md Zamal Hossain Mollah and Australian Kunal Bhasin.

Speaking about the tournament, Mr. Sumit Rathor, Director, Indo-MIM, said, “As a passionate golfer I am delighted that the tournament is being played in my city and my club. My tryst with golf dates back four decades and today, I feel privileged that the organisation I represent is presenting the Open Golf Championship. I look forward to a successful tournament and sincerely hope that more young Indians will take up professional golf.”

The Hon'ble Minister for Tourism and Sericulture, Sri Sa.Ra. Mahesh, said, “It gives me immense pleasure to know that the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) is organising the Bengaluru Open Golf Championship 2018 scheduled from December 6 – 9, 2018, at the Karnataka Golf Association course.

“A land known for its silks, spices and sandalwood, Karnataka adds up as an experience to remember for a lifetime. The state capital, Bengaluru is India's most cosmopolitan city and a city of contrasts, going by several aliases like India's Silicon Valley, Shopper's Paradise, Garden City, Air-Conditioned City, Gourmet's Delight etc. And Bengaluru is undoubtedly the most diverse of all cities in India when it comes to the field of sports.
 
“Golfing has a long tradition here in Karnataka. A heady mix of the best golfing experiences include three distinct environments in around 12 courses spread across the state: a high-life experience in the cities of Bengaluru and Mysuru, nature-nestled experiences of Coorg, Chikmagalur, Belgaum and tranquil strokes by the sea in Mangalore. All in all, the golfing experience in Karnataka is one that golfers always come back to.
 
“Bengaluru Open Golf Championship 2018 will see participation of 126 players. This tournament will surely provide a valuable learning experience for all the emerging players in this sport.

“On this occasion, I congratulate the Professional Golf Tour of India and all the partners in organizing such a world class tournament. I also take this opportunity to welcome all the players, officials and golf fans to our wonderful city of Bengaluru.”

Mr. Harish Kumar Shetty, President, Karnataka Golf Association (KGA), said, “Bengaluru Open is the flagship Pro tournament launched last year with the support of Government of Karnataka, Tourism Department.  We are happy to carry forward this year ‘Indo-MIM Presents Bengaluru Open Golf Championship 2018 Powered By Britannia, GoAir and Principal Partner Karnataka Tourism'.
 
“The KGA has played a key role in Bengaluru emerging as a major breeding ground for producing champions for the country over the years. The staging of the Bengaluru Open provides us an opportunity to unearth more golfing talent from the city of Bengaluru and the rest of the country. 
 
“We have made best efforts in providing perfect course condition for this professional golf tournament. We wish the players all the very best and hope to see some very exciting golfing actions over the next few days.”

Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said, “We are delighted to be back in Bengaluru, a city that continues to produce its fair share of golfing talent for India such as Khalin Joshi, the most recent international winner from the country. The Indo-MIM Presents Bengaluru Open Golf Championship 2018 Powered By Britannia, GoAir and Principal Partner Karnataka Tourism, is likely to act as a catalyst for the city to produce more champions in the future. We thank Indo-MIM, Karnataka Tourism, Britannia, GoAir and the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) for partnering with us in holding this event. We look forward to an enthralling week of top-class golfing action as the fiercely competitive 2018 season nears its culmination.”




About PGTI:

Formed in 2006, Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) is the recognised official body of professional golf in India. PGTI's objective is to promote professional golf in the country, as well as to give players an opportunity to be involved in the decision making on all aspects of the game. Headed by Mr. Kapil Dev (President), PGTI's governing body comprises leading Indian golf professionals. PGTI currently has over 300 members.

For information on PGTI, please contact:

Nikhil Kalaan

Media Manager - PGTI

Mobile: 9910974846

Email: media@pgtofindia.com