SSP Chawrasia eyes good finish in Prague to seal Euro Tour card

Prague (Czech Republic): Indian golfer SSP Chawrasia will tee up at the D+D Real Czech Masters here tomorrow with an eye to earning back his European Tour card.

Chawrasia, two-time winner in events co-sanctioned by European and Asian Tour, lost his card last year and played limited events in 2014.

This season Chawrasia came close to getting back to the European Tour with a third win in a co-sanctioned event, the Hero Indian Open, where he lost a play-off to fellow Indian Anirban Lahiri.

But his second place finish paved way to make things smoother for him to earn back his card. Currently placed 85th as an affiliate member of the Tour, Chawrasia needs to be inside Top-115 to get his card back.

"I have been playing well but there have been limited opportunities. With Czech Masters this week and Russian Open next week, I hope I can seal things and get back to Europe, where I am so keen to play once more," said Chawrasia, who has been paired with Carlos Pigem and Scott Henry.

There are three other Indians in the field. Multiple winner on European, Asian and Japan Tours, Jeev Milkha Singh, who has struggled with injuries and form, is paired with Roope Kakko and Anders Hansen. Jeev is currently way down in 148th place on the Race to Dubai standings.

Shiv Kapur, placed 114th and needing to stay inside 115 to keep his card, will play with Marco Crespi and Florian Fritsch. Gaganjeet Bhullar, who has been down with injuries, is also in the field. Bhullar has played just six events on European Tour this season, all of them co-sanctioned with Asian Tour. He is paired with Ross McGowan and Benjamin Herbert.

Among the in-form players will be Englishman James Morrison, who took a week off following his maiden appearance in the US PGA Championship.

Morrison has been in good form in 2015, winning the Open de Espa?a, finishing runners up in the Alstom Open de France and recording top 20 finishes in both the BMW PGA Championship and The Open Championship. Last year he was tied 13th in the first edition of The D+D REAL Czech Masters in the historic city of Prague.

The 30-year-old made his first cut in an American Major at Whistling Straits and briefly featured on the leaderboard following an early three-under par round of 69 on the opening day. But he faded away after that.

Morrison started the year 361st on the Official World Golf Ranking, but following a superb year to date he is up to 82nd, as well as 20th position on The Race to Dubai.