Gangjee hopes for strong start to Nationwide campaign in Chile

Santiago (Chile): Rahil Gangjee, who begins his 2012 campaign on the Nationwide Tour at the Chile Classic, is hoping for a good start early on the season and get himself re-ranked for more starts.

Gangjee, who is playing the Nationwide Tour for the second year running, missed out on keeping his card on the Nationwide Tour in 2011. However, this year he finished second at the Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage and then lost in a play-off in the European Challenge Tour event in Kensville Challenge in Ahmedabad in January. "I have had a good start in Asia and am looking to build on it on Nationwide. Though I have an Asian Tour card and events on Indian Tour are also lucrative, my aim is to make a mark in US. I gained a lot of experience playing in US last year and I want to take advantage of that," said Gangjee. "I played 24 events with moderate success. I had my chances in quite a few events," he added. Gangjee, who had three top-25 finishes, played 24 events and made cut in 13 and his best effort was tied 11th at the Rex Hospital Open and tied 12th at the Miccosukee Championship. He also shot a hole-in-one on a par-4 when he aced the 316-yard, 15th hole in the final round of the Mylan Classic. He finished 85th on the Money List as the top-60 kept their card, but Gangjee will also get quite a few starts this season. Gangjee has been drawn with Chris Baryla and James Love in the first two rounds of the event to be played at the Prince of Wales Country Club in the Chilean capital. The USD 600,000 Chile Classic features 144 players, most of them international players. The next event after Chile Classic on Nationwide will be the Chitimacha Louisiana Open March 22-25. In between the Tour has a week off. PTI