Top Indian golfers to take part in CG Open

Mumbai: Leading Indian golfers, including defending champion Chikkarangappa S, super series leader Rashid Khan, Rolex rankings leader Shankar Das and seasoned pros Shamom Khan and Mukesh Kumar are to take part in the CG Open tournament beginning here from Wednesday.

Besides Chikkarangappa, the other former CG Open champions in the field are Harendra Gupta, Mandeo Singh Pathania and Ashok Kumar, it was announced at a media conference today by organisers Avantha Group and the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI).

The prominent foreign players who would be seen in the tournament at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club course are Sri Lankans Anura Rohana, K Prabagaran and N Thangaraja, Nepal's Shivaram Shrestha and Bangladesh's Md Zamal Hossain Mollah.

"Counting the 7th edition of the CG Open golf tournament, I am pleased to see the stellar lineup of national and international players. It is overwhelming to be considered as one of the most exclusive golfing events in the country and the largest in the western region, attracting avid golfing talent," said Laurent Demortier, Chief Executive of CG, an Avantha Group company active in field of electrical energy.

"The CG Open, among the most prestigious and lucrative golf championships in the country, has been an important stop for the PGTI in western India over the last seven years," said PGTI Director Padamjit Sandhu.

"The 2014 edition of the tournament promises to be a treat for golf fans in Mumbai as leading professionals of the Indian sub-continent look to make gains in the final stages of the race for the Rolex Player of the Year title and the Super Series title," he added.

Seven events are staged as part of the PGTI Super Series this year with a total prize purse of Rs 4.3 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 lakh.

The Pro-Am tournament would be held on December 7.