Over 25 past Asian Tour winners will tee off at the TAKE Solutions Masters golf tournament at the KGA course here on Thursday.
The event, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), offers a total prize money of $350,000 — an increase of $50,000 from last year.
Thailand’s defending champion Poom Saksansin leads the field, while the Indian interest is represented by the likes of six-time Asian Tour winner S.S.P. Chowrasia, Chirag Kumar and local lads S. Chikkarangappa and Khalin Joshi.
Seasoned veterans Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa will also be seen in action.
Khalin’s home course
Khalin Joshi, who finished second here last year behind Saksansin, is keen to notch up his first victory on the Asian Tour. His familiarity with KGA, his home course, will help. “When I played in this tournament last year, I was fighting to keep my Asian Tour card. This time, I’ve already secured my card, which will allow me to play freely.
“Yes, there is a lot of pressure to do well on my home course, but it is exciting,” Khalin said at a press conference here on Wednesday.
For Chirag, this tournament could mark a turnaround in fortunes. The Delhi golfer has made the cut only three times in his last 13 Asian Tour appearances.
“I injured my wrist last year, and it has been downhill from there. But I’ve been working hard, and my game feels good. So I think I can turn the corner here,” Chirag said.
The KGA course will favour golfers who drive well and find the fairways frequently. Low scores are the norm here, though the competitors will have to fight the rain and strong winds that have affected the city recently.
