Kochi, 08-04-2014
PGTI Cochin Masters presented by CIAL Golf & Country Club marks the debut of professional golf in Kerala
• First ever professional tournament to be staged in Kerala
• Prize purse of Rs. 50 lac
• Second of seven Super Series events in 2014
• Anirban Lahiri, Rashid Khan, Himmat Singh Rai, Rahil Gangjee to lead a strong field
The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), ‘the official sanctioning body of professional golf in India', is all set to make its debut in the state of Kerala with the staging of the inaugural PGTI Cochin Masters presented by CIAL Golf & Country Club. The tournament, the second of seven Super Series events in 2014, carries a handsome prize purse of Rs. 50 lac. The event will be staged from April 9 – 12, 2014, at the newly-opened CIAL Golf & Country Club in Cochin. The Pro-Am event will be played on April 13, 2014.
The tournament will feature some of the top names of Indian professional golf such as Anirban Lahiri, Rahil Gangjee, Himmat Singh Rai, reigning Rolex Rankings champion Rashid Khan, Digvijay Singh, Shamim Khan, Chiragh Kumar, Mukesh Kumar, Sujjan Singh, Chikkarangappa and Angad Cheema, to name a few. The field will also feature professionals from overseas such as Mithun Perera (Sri Lanka), N Thangaraja (Sri Lanka), Kunal Bhasin (Australia), Shivaram Shrestha (Nepal) and Md Zamal Hossain Mollah (Bangladesh).ÂÂ
Seven events will be staged as part of the PGTI Super Series in 2014 with a total prize purse of Rs. 4.5 crore. Points are allocated for each event of the Super Series. The player with the highest points at the end of the seven Super Series events stands to earn a bonus of Rs. 30 lac. Anirban Lahiri, the winner of the season's first Super Series event, currently leads the Super Series points table with 900 points. Rahil Gangjee is in second place with 600 points.
“We are delighted to host such a big event. I hope that, PGTI event will fillip the efforts of the enthusiasts to spread this great game in this part of the country. At the same time we are getting an opportunity to position our new 18 hole golf course in the international golf mapâ€Â, said Mr. V. J. Kurian, I.A.S, Managing Director of CIAL.
Announcing the event, Mr. Padamjit Sandhu, Director, PGTI, said, “We look forward to an exciting week as Cochin witnesses the thrills of professional golf for the first time with the best talent in the country teeing it up at the CIAL Golf & Country Club for an impressive prize purse of Rs. 50 lac. An intense contest is in the offing with crucial Super Series points at stake. We seek to build on our partnership with CIAL in an effort to promote the sport in Cochin and the rest of Kerala.â€Â
The CIAL Golf & Country Club (CGCC) has been developed on 130 acres of rolling greens. CGCC is designed to play to a length of over 7400 yards and is the only 18-hole golf course in Kerala. It is the first course in the country to offer an island green on the 18th hole for a very exciting and challenging round of golf.
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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
