Coimbatore, 21-08-2023

Coimbatore Open 2023 presented by KGiSL to begin from August 22

Inaugural edition of event to carry prize purse of INR 1 crore, highest-ever for an event in Coimbatore

Om Prakash Chouhan, Aman Raj, Karan Pratap Singh, Sunhit Bishnoi among the leading names in the field

The inaugural Coimbatore Open presented by KGiSL will be played from August 22 – 25 at the Coimbatore Golf Club. The tournament carries a prize purse of INR 1 crore, the highest-ever for a men’s professional event in Coimbatore. The Pro-Am event will be staged on August 26.

Information technology company KGiSL is the Presenting Partner for the event while Prima Donna, a product offered by premium personal care and hygiene brand Prima World, is the Associate Partner for the event.

The event will witness participation by 126 golfers including 123 professionals and three amateurs. The leading Indian professionals in the field include Om Prakash Chouhan (TATA Steel PGTI Rankings leader), Aman Raj, Karan Pratap Singh, Sachin Baisoya, Gaurav Pratap Singh and last week’s winner Sunhit Bishnoi, to name a few.

The local challenge will be led by Coimbatore-based professional Sidhartha Sharathram and amateurs Adhvay Krishnan and J Vignessh.

The prominent foreign names in the field include Bangladeshis Badal Hossain, Md Dulal Hossain and Md Akbar Hossain, Sri Lankans N Thangaraja, Mithun Perera, Anura Rohana and K Prabagaran, Nepal’s Sukra Bahadur Rai, Japan’s Makoto Iwasaki as well as Canadians Sukhraj Singh Gill and Minwoo Park, to name a few.

Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said, “We thank Coimbatore Golf Club and KGiSL for their continued support to PGTI that has facilitated the staging of the inaugural Coimbatore Open presented by KGiSL. The professionals relished the experience of playing at Coimbatore Golf Club last year and are therefore looking forward to yet another exciting week of golf. The venue, known for its windy conditions, is once again set to test the skills of the top Indian professionals.”

Mr. R Gopinath, President, Coimbatore Golf Club, said, “The Coimbatore Golf Club is delighted to welcome back the PGTI and host the Coimbatore Open 2023. The PGTI has become the perfect springboard to an international career in golf for Indian professionals. The winner of the PGTI Order of Merit gets an entry into the DP World Tour. The members of CGC will also be able to watch some top quality golf at their own course and the winds although now calming down should still pose an element of challenge.”

Mr. Prassadh Shanmugam, CEO of KGiSL, said, “We are delighted to be associating with PGTI and the Coimbatore Golf Club for the second consecutive year. With the prize money for Coimbatore Open 2023 being INR 1 crore, the tournament has become more attractive, ensuring participation of India's top golfers. This time of the year, the course is supposed to be windy and challenging to play, it will be exciting to watch the top pro golfers tackle the conditions and excel. Looking forward to it.”

Noida-based professional Gaurav Pratap Singh (in the picture), a winner on the PGTI this year and one of the top contenders this week, said, “I’ve had a good run so far this year so I’m quite confident coming into this week. The course conditions are excellent. The rough isn’t as challenging as last year but it is the strong winds that will present the biggest challenge at this magnificent venue.”  

The Coimbatore Golf Club, nestled among the Nilgiri mountains, is a par-72, 6540 yard course. The Palghat Hills, part of the Western Ghats, form a scenic backdrop to the course. The playing experience is heavily influenced by the seasons. Strong Westerly winds during May to September make the course the most challenging. The winds ensure that the golfers have a tough battle on their hands. For an errant golfer, the course can be extremely unforgiving.