Kolkata, 12-12-2015
McLeod Russel Tour Championship - Race to Royal Calcutta Golf Club to provide fascinating finale to 2015 PGTI season
PGTI’s Year Ending Championship
Prize purse of Rs. 1.5 Cr
Only top 60 players on the Rolex Ranking to be eligible
Sponsor invites include former champion SSP Chawrasia, Jyoti Randhawa, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Rahil Gangjee, Rashid Khan, Chiragh Kumar and foreign players Md Siddikur Rahman, Mithun Perera, Koh Deng Shan & Sean Navin Shrestha Einhaus
McLeod Russel, the world’s largest tea producer, and the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), today announced the McLeod Russel Tour Championship 2015, the PGTI’s year-ending Championship. The tournament will be staged at the prestigious Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) from December 24 – 27, 2015. The tournament carries a handsome prize purse of Rs. 1.5 crore, the highest for a domestic event in India.
The event will see the top 60 players from the Rolex Ranking 2015 compete for top honours. This year the field will also feature sponsor invites including the 2012 champion SSP Chawrasia, Jyoti Randhawa, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Rahil Gangjee and Chiragh Kumar along with foreign players Md Siddikur Rahman (Bangladesh), Mithun Perera (Sri Lanka), Koh Deng Shan (Singapore) and Sean Navin Shrestha Einhaus (Germany).
The tournament will be a 72-hole stroke-play championship and there will be no cut applied after 36 holes. All players will be guaranteed prize money. The Pro-Am event preceding the tournament will be played on December 22nd and 23rd.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kamal Baheti, Whole-time Director, McLeod Russel India Limited (McLeod Russel), said “After the big success of first edition from 2012 - 2014, we are happy to be hosting the first year of second edition (2015 - 2017) of McLeod Russel Tour Championship. We are very pleased with the response from top golfers and everyone else who supported this event wholeheartedly. This is our small gesture of giving golf a boost in the Eastern Region and hope that it will lead to the growth of the game eventually. We are also encouraged to see the level of play by local amateurs this season at various tournaments. McLeod Russel’s heritage is based on values, culture and commitment and a strong belief in supporting and backing the right talent, and keeping that in mind, we will continue to sponsor one professional and two amateur golfers from Kolkata for the 2016 season. We will continue to be on the lookout for budding golfers in the future as well, and have put in place a committee to evaluate and identify budding golfers. We take this opportunity to thank the PGTI and the Royal Calcutta Golf Club for the opportunity to host the Championship this year. We are committed to the McLeod Russel Tour Championship and in the development of golf.”
Announcing the event, Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, Director, PGTI, said, “The McLeod Russel Tour Championship 2015, like its previous editions, is set to provide yet another fascinating finale to the PGTI season, as the Rolex Player of the Year title is up for grabs with many contenders in the fray. The golf fans in Kolkata are in for a treat as the leading names in Indian golf go head-to-head at the historic Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC), for the biggest prize of the season. We thank McLeod Russel for their undying support to Indian professional golf and look forward to continuing our partnership with them in the years to come.”
Mr. Abhay Pasari, General Committee Member & Golf Convener, Royal Calcutta Golf Club, said, “It’s a privilege for the RCGC to host the 4th edition of the McLeod Russel Tour Championship. It’s an exciting event with a two day Pro Am for the members and invitees. I am told that this year a few foreign invitees will also be participating with the best from India. I take this opportunity to wish all of them all the very best.”
About McLeod Russel:
McLeod Russel India Limited (McLeod Russel) is the largest tea production company in the world in the private sector. McLeod Russel, along with its subsidiaries, currently produces about 120 million kilograms of tea over a cultivable area of 38,000 hectares, employing nearly 1, 00,000 in personnel. The geographical spread of the tea estates of McLeod Russel and its subsidiaries are situated in Asia (India & Vietnam) and Africa (Uganda & Rwanda). McLeod Russel also has operations in the Middle East, through its subsidiary in Dubai, engaged in tea blending and trading activities. India, as a single geography, has the largest share of its produce – with the estates located in the states of Assam and West Bengal (Dooars).
About Royal Calcutta Golf Club:
The world-renowned Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC), affectionately known as the ‘Royal’, is steeped in history, as it is the oldest golf club outside of the British Isles, having been established in 1829. It is widely regarded as the founder of the game in the country and has staged some of the most prestigious tournaments on Indian soil, including the Indian Open and the All India Amateur Championship. The 7014-yard course favours long hitters and inaccurate shots are punished severely. The large number of water hazards makes this course a real challenge to master.
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
