16-05-2020

RASHID KHAN - A faltering club, a sense of déjà vu and a hero shot from Rashid Khan

For the second time in two years, Rashid Khan found himself involved in a play-off for the SAIL-SBI Open when it was held at the Delhi Golf Club in 2014. The year before, the precociously talented Indian had lost to compatriot Anirban Lahiri on the first extra hole.

One year later, Khan made a blistering start to the tournament, starting fast off the blocks with a stunning bogey-free 11-under par 61. He followed that up with two 69s and come Sunday, was leading by two shots over Bangl...

16-05-2020

When Jyoti Randhawa and Digvijay Singh went trout fishing in Kashmir

The Kashmir valley is a known haven for nature-lovers and adventure sports enthusiasts as it offers a wide variety of outdoor activities. Trout fishing is one such popular outdoor activity. Two of India’s leading professional golfers Jyoti Randhawa and Digvijay Singh, were literally ‘hooked’ to trout fishing during their visit to Srinagar in July 2014 for the PGTI Kashmir Masters Presented by KEO golf tournament.

Good friends Jyoti and Digvijay, who decided to take...

15-05-2020

RAHIL GANGJEE – Gangjee’s ace with a driver on par-4 pales in comparison to his 1997 7-iron

Tee shot, par-3 second, second play-off hole

1997 Eastern India Amateur Championship

No story about Rahil Gangjee’s shot-making and career would be complete without a mention of that rarest of rare hole-in-one on a par-4 in a recognized Tour event.

The Indian ace famously holed his driver on the 318-yard long par-4 15th hole during Sunday’s final round of the 2011 Mylan Classic on Nationwide Tour (now called Korn Ferry Tour).

It is reck...

Hyderabad, 15-05-2020

Anirban Lahiri gets exemption for the 2020-21 PGA Tour season

As reported by the Press Trust of India

Stuck at his parents place in Hyderabad without his golf clubs, India’s Anirban Lahiri heaved a sigh of relief after getting the good news that his playing status on the elite PGA Tour has been guaranteed for not only the remainder of the year but also for the 2020-21 season.

“Without doubt it is a big relief and the PGA Tour has taken the right decision keeping in mind the current conditions (C...

14-05-2020

KHALIN JOSHI - One stunning shot that led to a flurry of birdies and a cherished maiden title for Joshi

Second shot, par-5 14th, final round

2018 Panasonic Open India

As the winter sun started to drift towards the horizon, Khalin Joshi was facing all kinds of problems in giving a last push to his maiden Asian Tour title hopes in the 2018 Panasonic Open – India.

Joshi had started the final round at Delhi Golf Club tied for the lead at 13-under par alongside Bangladesh’s Siddikur Rahman, and one ahead of compatriot Ajeetesh Sandhu.

The lead was...

14-05-2020

Ashbeer Saini and Trishul Chinnappa equally comfortable with a hockey stick in hand

Indian professional golfers Ashbeer Saini and Trishul Chinnappa also happen to be skilled hockey players.

Ashbeer and Trishul hailing from two traditional bastions of Indian hockey, Punjab and the Coorg region of Karnataka respectively, one would have expected them to have the sport in their genes. However, both players who have represented India in golf at the junior & amateur levels, have their own stories as to how they took to the sport of hockey.

Kapurthala-based...

13-05-2020

JEEV MILKHA SINGH - That time when Jeev used a lethal six-iron to slay the Valderrama beast

Second shot, par-5 17th, final round

2006 Volvo Masters at Valderrama

Picture Courtesy: Getty Images/European Tour

Valderrama… some call it Europe’s very own Augusta National. Hailed as a modern masterpiece of golf architecture, this Robert Trent Jones-designed golf course has severely challenged leading exponents of the game ever since it was built in 1974. Its intricacies have befuddled them, even after they have played it several times.

Like Aug...

13-05-2020

Rewind: When 17-year-old Karandeep Kochhar became the youngest player and first Indian amateur to win on PGTI

The final day of the 2016 PGTI Players Championship presented by Tollygunge Club turned out to be one of the most memorable days in 17-year-old amateur Karandeep Kochhar’s fledgling golfing career. The Chandigarh lad wreaked havoc on the final day, shooting an eight-under-62, the best round of the tournament, to upset some of the top professionals in the country en route his three-shot triumph at the Rs. 30 lakh event.<...

12-05-2020

GAURAV GHEI - The glorious Ghei shot that was heard around the world

Third shot, 18th hole, final round

1995 Gadgil Western Masters

Whenever there is a talk about Gaurav Ghei’s magnificent chip-in for an eagle on the 72nd hole to win the 1995 Gadgil Western Masters at Delhi Golf Club, it should be accompanied with drum rolls and loud blowing of the bugle. That shot, replayed again and again on CNN as its ‘Play of the Day, without doubt heralded the arrival of Indian golf on the world scene.

Of course, there w...

12-05-2020

Emergence of five first time winners on PGTI in 2019 & 2020 heightens expectations for future of Indian golf

The emergence of five first time winners on the TATA Steel PGTI (excluding co-sanctioned international events) in 2019 and 2020 has heightened expectations for the future of Indian golf.

Among the five golfers, all Indians, youth is the common factor. While Kshitij Naveed Kaul and Aadil Bedi joined the winner’s circle as teenagers, both Veer Ahlawat and Priyanshu Singh lifted their maiden trophies at the age of 23. Abhinav Lohan broke the victory barrier at age 30 which can al...

11-05-2020

GAGANJEET BHULLAR - When Bhullar delivered the perfect climax to a love story

Second shot, par-5 17th, final round

2018 Fiji International

If Shakespeare was alive and watching Gaganjeet Bhullar woo Fiji, he would have rewritten the climax of Romeo and Juliet. Every great love story deserves an ending that is as happy and rewarding as the one between the Indian ace and the tiny Pacific nation.

The 2018 Fiji International was Bhullar’s first visit to the country. The chemistry between the two was instantaneous and electric. It’s...

11-05-2020

PGTI’s unique trophies representative of host venues

Over the years, winners at PGTI events have been honoured with many spectacular and glittering trophies. But there are some unique trophies among these that stand out for being truly representative of the host venue, city, region or state.

The region of Kashmir was well-represented in the aesthetically designed trophy of the PGTI Kashmir Masters 2014 held at the Royal Springs Golf Course in Srinagar. The trophy was modelled on a Samovar, an ethnic Kashmiri kettle, used to brew, boil...

10-05-2020

DIGVIJAY SINGH - When the golf ball followed Commander Digvijay’s orders to a tee

Most players I spoke to for this series, had to think a bit before declaring their choice of career shot.

Not Digvijay Singh.

The moment I asked him about his unforgettable shot – one in which the ball followed his instruction like a soldier following a commander’s order – Digvijay had the answer… along with pictorial proof that it actually happened that way!

It was the final putt to win his maiden and only Asian Tour title – at the...

Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu, 10-05-2020

C Muniyappa’s ingenuity helps him create a mini golf course in a rural setting

Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. Leading Indian professional golfer and 2009 Indian Open champion C Muniyappa provides us a classic example of this.

As luck would have it, just prior to the nationwide lockdown imposed across India, Bengaluru resident Muniyappa accompanied by his family including three kids, made the journey to his grandfather’s village Malayur in the Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu on March 20 in order to attend to a piece of land belonging to his...

09-05-2020

‘Kings of Aces’ Om Prakash Chouhan and N Thangaraja are hole-in-one leaders on PGTI with a record four aces each to their credit

Om Prakash Chouhan of Mhow and Sri Lankan N Thangaraja jointly hold the record for the most holes-in-one on the TATA Steel PGTI. The two ‘Kings of Aces’ enjoy the unique distinction of having four aces each to their credit at PGTI sanctioned and co-sanctioned events.

Here is the hole-in-one list of the two joint leaders:

Om Prakash Chouhan

1. 9th TATA Open 2010 at Golmuri Golf Club (Round 3, Hole 6)

2. PGTI Players Championship 2011...

08-05-2020

CHIRAGH KUMAR - Hooked on to Chiragh’s memory – the shot that won him his maiden title

At the 2015 Panasonic Open India, Chiragh Kumar was cruising towards the finishing line for a possible maiden Asian Tour title on a golf course he knew better than the back of his hand. He had distanced himself from the field heading into the closing stretch on Sunday, but there was one player he was unable to shake off – Bangladesh’s Siddikur Rahman.

After 15 holes in the final round, both Chiragh and Siddikur were two-under par for the day, but crucially, the momentum wa...

07-05-2020

ARJUN ATWAL - The fade that refuses to fade away from Atwal’s memory

Arjun Atwal, the only Indian to ever win a PGA Tour title, deliberated for some time before answering: “I reflect the most about my three-putt on the 72nd hole at Torey Pines in the 2006 Buick Invitational, and the 5-wood I smashed into water in the play-off at the 2005 BellSouth Classic.

“One tournament I lost to Tiger (Woods), and the other to Lefty (Phil Mickelson). So that’s pretty memorable!

“Perhaps I am an old dude…back-in-my-days typ...

07-05-2020

Udayan Mane and Ashok Kumar share record of three back-to-back wins on PGTI

Pune’s Udayan Mane and Delhi’s Ashok Kumar share the enviable record of having posted three back-to-back wins on the PGTI. It’s a winning streak which has not been matched by any other player on the PGTI.

The mercurial Ashok Kumar was the first one to have achieved the incredible feat when he bagged the IndianOil XtraPremium Masters (Digboi Golf Links), Solaris Global Green Open (Bangalore Golf Club) and SRF All India Professional Golf Matchplay Championship (Noida G...

06-05-2020

ANIRBAN LAHIRI - Lahiri’s 5-wood that cut deep into the heart of Europe’s EurAsia Cup dream

Looking at it just from the cold and unbiased lens of statistics, the inaugural EurAsia Cup, held in the last week of March 2014 at Glenmarie Golf & Country Club in Malaysia, should have been a virtual cakewalk for Europe.

The lowest ranked European player was Thorbjorn Olesen, a captain’s pick by Miguel Angel Jimenez, at No66 on the OWGR. On the other hand, only one Asian player was inside the top-66 of the world rankings – playing captain Thongchai Jaidee (No49). Read More

06-05-2020

PGTI's Longest-Running Playoffs

The PGTI has witnessed some pulsating playoff encounters over the years. Here we take a look at PGTI’s longest-running playoffs.

6 holes:

Aadil Bedi beat Udayan Mane at Bengal Open 2020 (Tollygunge Club, Kolkata)

This face-off between teenager Aadil Bedi and Udayan Mane set the record for the longest-running playoff on the PGTI. The edge-of-the-seat encounter saw both contenders match each other shot for shot....

05-05-2020

AJEETESH SANDHU - Sandhu’s stunning 5-wood when the chips were down in Chandigarh

A sizeable Sunday crowd had gathered at the Chandigarh Golf Club (a club that probably holds the record for the greatest golf traffic on any course in the world) on the final day of the 2019 Jeev Milkha Singh Invitational Presented by Take Solutions.

A year before, during the inaugural edition of the tournament, the fans had witnessed a play-off battle between local lad Karandeep Kochar and Chikkarangappa S, which was won by the Bengaluru pro.

Another local favourite – A...

Gurugram, 05-05-2020

Message from the CEO - Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy

Greetings and best wishes from the entire team of PGTI.

We hope each one of you and your family members are in good health and in high spirits in these testing times.

The world is facing an unprecedented situation due to the continuing global health crisis brought about by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, we are hopeful that the timely enforcement of the lockdown and other safety measures by the Government of India will soon begin to bear fruit in our country...

04-05-2020

AADIL BEDI - Bedi proves to be the Marathon Man with a shot world golf will remember

Incredibly, 19-year-old Aadil Bedi’s unforgettable shot happens to be the last shot that was played on any recognized Tour in the world before men’s professional golf was shut down by the COVID-19 situation.

It was the deciding blow in a protracted battle for the promising Chandigarh teenager, who was looking for his first win as a professional, against Udayan Mane, showing almost Tiger Woods-like dominance on the PGTI Tour and winning three times in his last three start...

New Delhi, 04-05-2020

PGTI Stats – 2019

While Rashid Khan won the 2019 TATA Steel PGTI Order of Merit, there were other players too who made a big impression during the 2019 season. If one goes by the stats of the 2019 season, the other names who made a major impact included 2019 PGTI Emerging Player of the Year Kshitij Naveed Kaul, Udayan Mane, Chikkarangappa, Mukesh Kumar, Yashas Chandra MS and N Thangaraja. It was a fascinating season that witnessed quite a few record feats and featured five first time winners and three playoffs...

03-05-2020

ADITI ASHOK - With a gun on her head, Aditi Ashok unleashes a perfect seven-iron

Given the circumstances, the second shot that 19-year-old Aditi Ashok faced on the 18th hole of Saadiyat Beach Golf Club in the final round of the 2017 Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open was fraught with danger and required the most precise execution.

Seemingly cruising towards her third win on the Ladies European Tour (LET) with a round in which she barely made any mistakes, her four-shot lead over England’s Georgia Hall (who’d go on to win the RICOH Ladies British Open...

03-05-2020

Indian Olympic hopefuls stay focused on Tokyo Olympics despite postponement of mega-event and extension of qualifying date

The one-year postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has been subsequently followed by the joint announcement of the International Golf Federation (IGF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that the qualifying date for the men’s golf event has been extended to June 21, 2021.

In other words, golfers now will accumulate Olympic Golf Ranking (OGR) points through a period ending on June 21, 2021.

The Official World Golf Ran...

Lausanne, Switzerland, 01-05-2020

QUALIFYING FOR OLYMPIC GOLF IS EXTENDED TO ACCOUNT FOR ONE-YEAR DELAY OF TOKYO 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES

The International Golf Federation and International Olympic Committee have announced an adjustment to the qualifying system for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to accommodate the new dates of competition in 2021.

In light of the one-year delay, athletes now will accumulate Olympic Golf Rankings (OGR) points through a period ending on 21 June 2021 for the men and 28 June 2021 for the women. The field for both men and women will consist of 60 players.

The OGR is based on the Offici...

Kolkata, 15-03-2020

Aadil Bedi’s lion-hearted performance earns him maiden title in a thriller at Bengal Open 2020; Teenager Bedi triumphs in style with chip-in on sixth playoff hole, ends Udayan Mane’s three-match winning streak

Nineteen-year-old Aadil Bedi put up a lion-hearted performance to earn his maiden title in a thriller at the Bengal Open Golf Championship 2020, played at the Tollygunge Club in Kolkata.

Chandigarh-based Bedi triumphed in style with a chip-in birdie on the sixth playoff hole to end Pune golfer Udayan Mane’s incredible three-match winning streak on the TATA Steel PGTI.

The tournament worth Rs. 30 lakh witnessed the longest-running playoff on the PGTI. The previous rec...

Kolkata, 14-03-2020

Udayan Mane and Aadil Bedi surge ahead in round three of Bengal Open 2020, set up fascinating final day

Pune-based Udayan Mane continued to be on course to win a record fourth straight title on the TATA Steel PGTI as he surged ahead as the joint leader along with teenager Aadil Bedi of Chandigarh after round three of the Bengal Open Golf Championship 2020 being played at the Tollygunge Club in Kolkata.

PGTI Order of Merit leader Mane (67-63-67) and Bedi (65-65-67) were tied for the lead at a total of 13-under-197. Both shot scores of three-under-67 at the Rs. 30 lakh event on Saturday...

Kolkata, 13-03-2020

Mane, Joshi, Bedi, Chouhan make up leading quartet at halfway stage of Bengal Open 2020

PGTI Order of Merit leader Udayan Mane of Pune, searching for a record fourth straight title on the TATA Steel PGTI, was back in familiar territory as he found himself in the joint lead at 10-under-130 at the halfway stage of the Bengal Open Golf Championship 2020 being played at the Tollygunge Club in Kolkata.

Interestingly, pre-tournament favourite Mane’s (67-63) seven-under-63 on Friday was his 14th consecutive round in the 60s on the PGTI.

Bengaluru’s Khalin Jo...

Kolkata, 13-03-2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Postponement of PGTI Tournaments

As you may be well aware of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and with the WHO also declaring it PANDEMIC, this deadly virus (COVID-19) unfortunately is continuing to affect people across the country with multiple cases being added to the list of those infected each passing day.

In order to further prevent the spread of this deadly virus (COVID-19), the Ministry of Health & Welfare (India) has decided to opt for a “nuclear” response to the threat by significantly i...

Kolkata, 12-03-2020

Digvijay Singh makes impressive return to competitive golf after two months with sizzling 62 at Bengal Open 2020, seizes the lead

The seasoned Digvijay Singh made an impressive return to competitive golf after two months as he shot a sizzling opening round of eight-under-62 to seize the lead at the TATA Steel PGTI’s Bengal Open Golf Championship 2020 being played at the Tollygunge Club in Kolkata.

The Gurugram-based Digvijay, a former Asian Tour winner who missed his PGTI full card at the Qualifying School in January this year, is playing his first tournament of the 2020 season.

Faridabad’s A...

New Delhi, 10-03-2020

Dilip Tirkey Interview

Former Indian Hockey Captain, three-time Olympian and Asian Games gold medalist Dilip Tirkey recently turned to professional golf having competed at the 2020 TATA Steel PGTI Qualifying School. Tirkey, who made his professional debut at the Vooty & Haldi presents Golconda Masters 2020 powered by Telangana Tourism, speaks about his seamless transition from hockey to professional golf, in this interview.

How do you see your transition...