Asian Tour Panasonic Open to be played at Delhi Golf Club parallel to the Masters
While The Masters is all set to tee off this weekend, the Asian Tour will be played on the other side of the globe. The Panasonic Open is scheduled on 7 April and is being staged for the first time in India at the scenic Delhi Golf Club, New Delhi. The venue also hosted the Sail Open last month which declared the course as an excellent choice for the Asian Tour, especially in the wake of budding young golfers from India. The tournament has a purse of $300,000 and will be broadcast for the four days on Asian Tour’s global television platform to be watched in 440 million homes in some 40 countries.
The event is one of the three tournaments on the Asian Tour which will be played on Indian soil, bringing in some renowned international golfers to experience the courses in the Indian subcontinent. The idea behind the inaugural event in India is to enhance the credibility and acceptability of the sport in Southeast Asia while maintaining the integrity of the game. Panasonic India President, Mr. Daizo Ito said, “We are delighted to launch the Panasonic Open (India) which we believe will benefit the game positively in India. Professional golf has grown immensely in the sub-continent with the emergence of great Indian champions on the Asian Tour and we look forward to welcoming a worthy winner in our tournament.”
Kyi Hla Han, Executive Chairman, Asian Tour also spoke on the occasion and said, “The launch of the Panasonic Open (India) reinforces the Asian Tour’s growth and appeal as a brand due to our cosmopolitan membership which consists of players from over 30 different nationalities. This tournament will raise the profile and popularity of golf in the country and with the extensive television coverage, it will make India a preferred golfing destination for golf enthusiasts.”
Top ranking Indian golfers will be participating in the tournament including Shiv Kapur, SSP Chowrasia, and Jyoti Rhandawa. Thaworn Wirachant will be representing Thailand. Aussie Scott Hend, who has now travelled several thousand miles stretching from Africa to Japan on tourneys, will be leading the sturdy Australian team. Hend finished 38th in last month’s Sail Open on the same venue. The Aussie team includes Rick Kulacz and Darren Beck, along Asian Tour regulars Scott Barr, Tony Carolan, Unho Park, Kunhal Basin, David Gleeson, Gavin Flint, Tim Stewart, rookie Kieran Pratt, Do Kim and Adam Groom.
Surrounded by several historical monuments of the Indian-Mughal dynasty, the Delhi Golf Course is a unique blend of history and sport in the heart of the Indian capital. Redesigned by Australian Peter Thomson in 1976, the club was first built in 1931. Thomson also went ahead to win the third Indian Open tournament the same year he designed the course. There are two courses, “The Lodhi” and “The Peacock”, which is the shorter course, both lined by narrow fairways leading to spacious greens. The par four ninth hole of the course is notoriously famous for its tricky green surrounded by bunkers protecting it like a fort. The 18th is designed in somewhat similar way, and usually brings the best out of a golfer. The course is surrounded by a dense jungle on its outskirts and the players will enjoy the wide variety of birds visiting the fairways.
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