Ansu Bhuyan, Himanshu Kumar reach semifinals

 Adrija Biswas

Sofia Khan

Patna, March 30, 2017: Ansu Bhuyan of Odisha beat Shimon Shastri of Maharashtra 6-2, 6-2 to enter the men’s singles semifinals of the Chandrashekhar Prasad Memorial All India Ranking Tennis Tournament at the Patliputra tennis Centres courts here.

Results:

Men’s singles (quarters)

Ansu Bhuyan (OD) bt Shimon Shastri (MH) 6-2, 6-2; Pagalavan D. (TN) bt P Harshith Sankar Satakarni (AP) 6-1, 5-7, 6-0; Himanshu Kumar (UP) bt Nagendra Rai (UP) 6-0, 6-2; Amit Bzad (HR) bt Arjun Mariyappa (KA) 5-7,6-3, 6-3.

Men’s doubles (quarters): Pagalavan D (TN) & Chinmaay Bakshi (DL) bt Himanshu Kumar (UP) & Shimon Shastri (MH) 7-6, 6-4; Shaik Umair (AP) & D Surya Reddy (AP) bt. Nagendra Rai (UP) Rajendra Rai (UP) 6-4, 6-4

Women’s singles (quarters): Shamika Dhar (KA) bt Asuntha Fleming Candice (BR)  6-0, 6-1; Medhavi Singh (BR) bt Priyam Kumari (BR) 6-3, 6-3; Adrija Biswas (WB) bt Omlata Rai  (UP) 6-3, 6-4; Sofia Khan (BR) bt Mallika Ambastha (BR) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3

Women’s Doubles (quarterfinals):

Meenu Pandey (UP) & Omlata Rai (UP) bt Sakshi Kumari (BR) & Shivani Chauhan (UP) 6-2, 6-1; Sofia khan (BR) &  Shamika Dhar (KA) bt. Tanmaya Khushi (BR) Mahima Kumar (WB) 6-0, 6-1

Siddikur takes control in round two with a blistering 66; Bihar's Aman Raj makes the cut in Chittagong

Md Siddikur Rahman

Chittagong, March 30, 2017: Bangladesh’s premier golfer Md Siddikur Rahman delighted the home crowd with a blistering six-under-66 in round two of the City Bank American Express Chittagong Open. Siddikur’s brilliant effort at the Bhatiary Golf & Country Club on Thursday helped him build a substantial lead of six shots at the halfway stage as his total read nine-under-135.

Indians Shamim Khan (72), Sanjeev Kumar (71), Khalin Joshi (70) and Harendra Gupta (72) were bunched together in tied second at three-under-141 along with Sri Lankan Anura Rohana (72).

The cut was declared at eight-over-152. Fifty-three professionals made the cut including 33 Indians, 17 Bangladeshis and three Sri Lankans.

Bihar's Aman Raj also made the cut with tied 22nd with 4 over 148 at the end of the second day's play. Aman shot 2 over 74 on the Day Two as was identical with his opening day's score. 

Siddikur (69-66), who was lying overnight tied third, one off the lead, came into his own on the second day thanks to a fabulous all round effort. With three straight birdies on the fifth, sixth and seventh followed by three more on the 10th, 11th and 13th, he raced to six-under for the day through the first 13 holes. The bogey on the 15th was his only blemish but he finally ended with another birdie on the 18th to stamp his authority on the second round.

Siddikur said, “I’m really enjoying playing here in Chittagong. The Bhatiary Golf & Country Club has a challenging layout and is one of my favourite courses. The City Bank American Express Bangladesh Open will go a long way in further popularizing golf in the country.

“I had a decent start in round one but really got my game going today. I struck it well and also took my chances on the greens. I have a healthy lead at the moment but won’t take anything for granted as there is a lot of golf still to be played in this tournament. I would love to do well here in front of my home crowd this week,” added the two-time Asian Tour winner.

Md Jakiruzzaman Jakir (70) was the next best Bangladeshi golfer after Siddikur. Jakir was placed seventh at two-under-142.

Round one joint leaders Samarth Dwivedi and Honey Baisoya of India, slipped to tied eighth at one-under-143 after both shot scores of 75 in round two.

Bangladeshi amateur Md Nobi Hossain made a hole-in-one on the 17th during his second round effort of 78. However, he missed the cut as his total score was 19-over-163.

PGTI release

Shamika, Priyam, Adrija, Medhavi cruise into quarterfinals

 Shamika Dhar

 Medhavi Singh

Arjun Mariyappa 

Patna, March 29, 2017: Shamika Dhar of Karnataka beat Shilpi Swarupa Das of Odisha 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 to enter the women’s quarterfinals of the Chandrashekhar Prasad Memorial All India Ranking Tennis Tournament at the Patliputra tennis Centres courts here.

Priryam Kumari of Bihar, Adrija Bisas of West Bengal and Medhavi Singh (Bihar) also moved in to the last eight stage.

Priyam Kumari beat Meenu Pandey (UP) 6-1, 6-1, Adrija Biswas (WB) beat Monika Mumar (WB) 6-3, 6-3 and Medhavi Singh beat Shruti Gupta (WB) 6-4, 6-3.

Men’s singles (pre-quarterfinals)

Ansu Bhuyan (OD) bt Abhiveer Singh Shekhawat (RJ) 6-4, 6-3; Shimon Shastri (MH) bt Shaik Umair (AP)  0-6, 6-3, 7-6; Pagalavan D. (TN) bt Chinmay Bakshi (DL) 6-0, 6-0

P. Harshith Sankar Satakarni (AP) bt D. Surya Reddy (AP) 7-6, 6-3; Amit Bzad (HR) bt. Burra Ramsai (AP) 6-0, 6-2; Arjun Mariyappa (KA) bt. Shekhar Jaiswal (MH) 6-4, 6-2; Nagendra Rai (UP) bt Rewant Raj (BR) 6-3, 6-3.

Indian youngsters Samarth Dwivedi, Honey Baisoya share first round lead

 Honey Baisoya 

Samarth Dwivedi

Chittagong, March 29, 2017: Indian youngsters Samarth Dwivedi and Honey Baisoya shot scores of four-under-68 to share the first round lead at the inaugural City Bank American Express Chittagong Open as the PGTI made its debut at the pristine Bhatiary Golf & Country Club.

Bangladesh’s leading golfer Md Siddikur Rahman was one stroke behind in tied third along with Sri Lankan Anura Rohana and five Indians Anil Bajrang Mane, Harendra Gupta, Naman Dawar, Shankar Das and PGTI Order of Merit leader Shamim Khan.

Samarth Dwivedi, playing only his second season as a professional, got off to a disastrous start with bogeys on the first two holes where he missed chip-putts. The 24-year-old from Allahabad then regained his confidence with a 10-feet birdie conversion on the seventh.

Samarth followed up his first birdie with two more on the eighth and 10th, driving the green on the latter. Dwivedi then made some crucial par putts on the back-nine before his final flourish that saw him make birdies on the 16th, 17th and 18th.

Samarth said, “I’ve not had the ideal start to the season having missed the cut in three out of four events so far. But I feel I’m now driving better with my new driver which I began using last week. The new driver has added about 15 to 20 yards distance on my drives.

“I had a poor start today but the birdie on the seventh got my round going. I struggled with my hitting on the back-nine till the 16th but stayed on course with some good par saves from about six feet. I then struck it well on the last three holes and landed it within three feet on two occasions. That helped me end the day on a high.

“One needs to have confidence with the driver here since it’s a tight course. The greens are smaller in size than usual and reading the lines will be tricky. Whoever putts the best will win here.”

Honey Baisoya, the winner of the season’s opening event in Noida, also had a terrific start to the week. Delhi-based Baisoya mixed eight birdies with four bogeys to share the lead with Dwivedi.

Honey, a three-time winner on the PGTI, said, “It’s a good start considering we’re all playing here for the first time. I’m now looking to carry forward the momentum that was built after my win earlier this year. The aim is to be consistent this season.”

Mumbai’s premier golfer Anil Bajrang Mane, who enjoyed one of his best seasons on the PGTI last year thanks to a 40th place finish in the Order of Merit, sparkled with a 69 in round one. Armed with a new putter, Mane made some long conversions to end the first day in a strong position.

Local favourite Siddikur Rahman produced four birdies and a bogey to also take a share of third place.

Md Ripon was the next best Bangladeshi golfer in tied 10th with a score of 70. His round featured an eagle-two on the 10th, three birdies and three bogeys.

Among the other prominent names, Indians Khalin Joshi (71) and Udayan Mane (74) occupied tied 13th place and tied 41st place respectively. Md Zamal Hossain Mollah of Bangladesh fired a 77 to be tied 65th.

PGTI release

RK Steel Siwan storm into semifinals

Patna, March 27, 2017: RK Steel Siwan thrashed Chakradharpur Sporting Club 4-0 to enter the semifinals of S Ejaz Hussain Memorial Football Tournament at New Police Lines ground here on Monday.
Noor Ali (52nd minute), M Singh (62nd minute) , Kenba (63rd minute) and Dili Ram (64th minute) were the scorers for winning team.
Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

Bihar's Rewant Raj enters second round

 Mahima Kumar

 Omlata Rai

Sofia Khan

Patna, March 28, 2017: Bihar’s Rewant Raj advanced into the second round of the Chandrashekhar Prasad Memorial All India Ranking Prize Money Tennis Tournament beating Anirban Dutta (Tripura) 6-2, 6-0 at Patliputra Tennis Centre courts here on Tuesday.

Results: Men’s Singles (first round): Abhiveer Singh Shekhawat (Raj) bt Rajendtra Rai (UP) 6-4, 6-2; Rewant Raj (Bihar) bt Anirban Dutta (Tripura) 6-2, 6-0; Shekhar Jaiswal (Maha) bt. Sandeep S. Pedada (AP) 6-3, 6-1; Amit Bzad (Har) bt. Arghya Das (WB) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4

Women’s singles (Pre-quarterfinals): Asuntha Fleming Candice (BR) bt Sakshi Kumari (BR) 6-1, 6-1; Mallika Ambasth (BR) bt Shivani Chauhan (UP) 6-3, 6-2; Sofia Khan (BR) bt Mahima Kumar (WB) 6-1, 6-0; Omlata Rai (UP) bt Tanmaya Khushi (BR) 6-0, 6-1

Men’s doubles (Pre-quarterfinals): Sandeep S Pedada (AP) & Burra Ramsai (AP) bt Govind Prasad Mourya (UP) & Shobhit Tandon (UP) 6-3, 6-7, 11-9; Pagalavan D. (TN) & Chinmay Bakshi (DL) bt Preston Vaz (MH) & Vishal Singh (MH) 6-1, 6-1; Shaik Umair (AP) & D Surya Reddy (AP) bt Utkarsh Singh (BR) & Rewant Raj (BR) 6-1, 6-3

PGTI to make debut in Chittagong with Rs 40 lakh tourney

Chittagong, March 28, 2017: The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), the official sanctioning body of professional golf in India, makes its debut in the city of Chittagong with the staging of the inaugural City Bank American Express Chittagong Open.

The tournament, PGTI’s second in Bangladesh this year, will be held at the magnificent Bhatiary Golf & Country Club (BGCC) from March 29 – April 1, 2017, and will carry a prize purse of INR 40 lakhs.

The tournament is co-sanctioned by PGTI and Bangladesh Professional Golfers Association (BPGA) and approved by Bangladesh Golf Federation (BGF).

The tournament is set to feature some of the top names of the South Asian region. The Indian challenge will be led by the likes of Shamim Khan (PGTI Order of Merit leader), Shankar Das, Honey Baisoya, Udayan Mane, Khalin Joshi and Feroz Ali Mollah, to name a few.

The Bangladeshi duo of Md Siddikur Rahman and Md Zamal Hossain Mollah will lead the charge for the host nation while Sri Lanka will also be well-represented by the likes of Mithun Perera, N Thangaraja and Anura Rohana.

  

This is a 72-hole stroke-play tournament featuring a field of 126 players where the cut will be applied after the first 36 holes. The top 50 players and ties will make the halfway cut and continue to play for another 36 holes.

  

Lt. Col. Md Ikramul Yasin (Retd), CEO, Bhatiary Golf & Country Club (BGCC), said, “On behalf of the President and all members of Bhatiary Golf and Country Club, I thank BPGA and PGTI for co-sanctioning the tournament. We also thank all the officials of BGCC, BPGA, PGTI and RIZ Events for their untiring efforts to make this event happen. We congratulate all participants of this tournament and wish all success for this event.”

  

Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said, “The inaugural Chittagong Open marks a new chapter in Indo-Bangladesh golfing ties. The tournament is a result of the joint vision of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and the Bangladesh Professional Golfers Association (BPGA) to take professional golf to the next level in the South Asian region. PGTI members are excited about playing at the magnificent Bhatiary Golf & Country Club for the first time as the tour makes its debut in the historic city of Chittagong. We are confident that PGTI and BPGA will continue to work together to further strengthen the golfing partnership between India and Bangladesh.”

PGTI release

Utkarsh Singh of Bihar in second round

Patna, March 27, 2017: Utkarsh Singh of Bihar moved into the second round of the Chandrashekhar Prasad Memorial All India Ranking Prize Money Tennis Tournament beating his state mate Vivek Singh 6-0, 6-0 at Patliputra Tennis Centre courts of the Bihar Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) here on Monday.

Earlier, Dr Rajendra Prasad, former principal of Rajkiyakrit High School, Salimpur, inaugurated the tournament. 

Dr Akhouri B Prasad, secretary, BLTA, welcomed the guests while Kunal Aikat, Chief Coach, BLTA proposed a vote of thanks.

Results (men’s singles first round): Ansu Kumar Bhuyan (Odisha) bt Manvir Singh Randhawa (Maharashtra) 6-3, 6-3; Shaik Umair (AP) bt Akshat Kumar (UP) 6-4, 6-0; Shimon Shastri (Maha) bt Shobhit Tandon (UP) 6-0, 6-4; Pagalavan D (TN) bt Parag Dhoke (Maha) 6-2, 6-0; Chinmay Bakshi (Delhi) bt Vashu Gupta (UP) 6-1, 6-3; D Surya Reddy (AP) bt Govind Prasad Mourya (UP) 6-0, 6-3; P. Harshith Sankar Satakarni (AP) bt Vishal Singh (Maha) 6-2, 6-1; Nagendra Rai (UP) bt Sanoj Kumar (Bihar) 6-2, 6-2; Utkarsh Singh (Bihar) bt Vivek Singh (Bihar) 6-0, 6-0; Himanshu Kumar (UP) bt Preston Vaz (Maha) 6-2, 6-1; Burra Ramsai (AP) bt Mritunjay Singh (UP) 6-3, 7-6; Arjun Mariyappa (Karnataka) bt Varun Tiwari (Chandigarh) 6-0, 6-1

Shamim Khan coasts to comfortable five-shot win at Kolkata Classic; Aman Raj finishes tied 28

Kolkata, March 24, 2017: With a three-shot overnight lead Delhi’s Shamim Khan was well aware that just keeping the errors out on the final day would pave the way for his victory at the Kolkata Classic 2017. That’s exactly what he did with a dogged final round of even-par-72 that earned him his first ever title at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC).

Shamim ended the Rs. 40 lakh event with a total score of 10-under-278 to bag his 13th professional title and take home the winner’s cheque worth Rs. 6 lakh. He thus climbed from fourth to first in the PGTI Order of Merit.

Reigning Indian Open champion and pre-tournament favourite SSP Chawrasia of Kolkata finished runner-up at five-under-283 after a final round of two-under-70.

Kolkata’s Shankar Das (72) claimed third place at four-under-284.

There was a marked difference in Shamim Khan’s (70-68-68-72) ball-striking on Friday. He went from hitting six out of 16 fairways in round three to 10 out of 16 in the final round. This massive improvement in his tee shots helped him coast to victory without much trouble in round four.

The 38-year-old Shamim made a confident start with an eight feet birdie conversion on the second. The pro from the Delhi Golf Club had a few anxious moments when he dropped bogeys on the sixth and seventh but his lead was intact as nearest rival Mukesh Kumar of Mhow stumbled with five straight bogeys at the same time.

Shamim, the PGTI’s all time prize money leader with over Rs. 3 crore in earnings on the tour since 2006, consolidated his lead by draining a 25-footer for birdie on the 12th and making a brilliant chip-putt for birdie on the 15th. The bogey on the 17th was a minor blip before he cantered to the title with ease.

Shamim said, “I was driving much better today and hit a lot of fairways early on as compared to round three. That gave me loads of confidence. I knew I didn’t need to do anything spectacular from there on. I just stuck to my plan of keeping it in play and that worked out well for me.

“I made a lot of good chip-putts this week that more than compensated for my poor driving in the first three rounds. I worked on my hitting yesterday and also sorted some problems with my alignment.

“I’ve always played well at the RCGC and had some top finishes here in recent years. But it feels great to finally win at one of India’s best golf courses,” added Khan, who has now displaced Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu as the Order of Merit leader with season’s earnings of Rs. 12,49,900.

SSP Chawrasia (71-70-72-70), who began the day in tied fifth, seven off the lead, carded an eventful 70 that featured an eagle, four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey. He therefore moved up three spots and ended the week as runner-up at his home course.

SSP, fresh from his Indian Open win two weeks back, said, “I made many mistakes through the week. I needed just one really low score and that could’ve set up the tournament for me. But all credit to Shamim. It’s not often that one wins with such a huge margin at the RCGC.”

Shankar Das, another local professional, posted a final round of 72 to end up in third, one stroke behind Chawrasia.

Mukesh Kumar, who was overnight second and three off the lead, slipped to tied fourth at three-under-285 on Friday after a forgettable 76 that saw him drop six bogeys over a stretch of seven holes from the sixth to the 12th.

Chandigarh’s Sujjan Singh (71) and Om Prakash Chouhan (71) of Mhow shared fourth place with Mukesh.

Among the other prominent names, Chikkarangappa (73) was tied 12th at even-par-288 and Rashid Khan (71) was tied 15th at one-over-289.

Lucknow’s Sanjay Kumar shot the best round of the tournament, a five-under-67, to clinch tied 20th place at three-over-291.

Patna's Aman Raj was placed tied 28th along with two others with a total of 5 over 293. Aman played one over 73 on the last day. 

Caption for Prize Presentation pictures:

Shamim Khan receives the winning cheque and trophy from Mr. Yashaswi Shroff, Director, Alcove (extreme left), also seen in the picture are Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI (2nd from right) and Col. Devrishi Singhal (Retd.), CEO, RCGC (extreme right).

PGTI release

Shamim Khan surges ahead on penultimate day; Bihar's Aman at T30

Shamim Khan

Kolkata, March 23, 2017: Shamim Khan’s near-flawless short-game helped him surge ahead by three shots in the penultimate round of the Kolkata Classic 2017 even as his driving woes continued at the Rs. 40 lakh event.

The Delhi-based professional, known for his effortless golf swing, struck the day’s joint best score of four-under-68 at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) to take his total to 10-under-206. He thus moved up one spot from overnight second.

Mhow-based Mukesh Kumar, on the other hand, conceded his overnight lead and slipped to second after an even-par-72 that saw him struggle on the greens. Mukesh’s three-day total stood at seven-under-209.

Kolkata’s Shankar Das made significant gains on day three, moving up 11 places to tied third as a result of his 68 which was the joint best score of the day along with Shamim’s round.

Shankar shared the third position along with Sri Lankan Mithun Perera (70) at four-under-212 on a day that witnessed just 11 under-par rounds.

Pre-tournament favourite SSP Chawrasia of Kolkata signed a card of 72 to be tied for fifth at three-under-213 along with Sanjeev Kumar (70) of Lucknow and Noida’s Gaurav Pratap Singh (71).

Shamim Khan (70-68-68) was erratic off the tee yet again but that didn’t stop him from producing a second straight 68 that handed him a valuable three-stroke advantage.

Despite finding just six out of 14 fairways on Thursday, the 38-year-old Shamim continued his rise in the tournament with an eagle, three birdies and a bogey. The highlight of his round was the eagle on the par-5 fourth where he holed out from 110 yards. He also sank a couple of birdie putts from 20 to 25 feet.

Shamim, a winner of 12 professional titles, came up with three stupendous par-saves as well that made his round all the more special.

Shamim said, “I’ve been low on confidence because of my poor driving but my approach shots, chipping and putting have been the saving grace. I made some excellent par-saves from difficult positions today.

“I’ve never won at the RCGC before so that is a motivating factor for me this week. In the final round, the priority would be to make a steady start by hitting maximum fairways and greens. That would get my confidence going. I can then play as per the demand of the situation.

“With the experienced Mukesh, Shankar and Mithun behind me, a poor start could see my lead disappear quickly. So I have to play some conservative golf to begin with, in order to force the others to do the catching up.”

Mukesh Kumar (69-68-72) just couldn’t find the hole from short-range from the first to the fifth. He thus ended up dropping three strokes on that stretch.

However, Mukesh revived his round with some accurate hitting that led to birdies on the sixth, 10th, 15th and 16th. The 51-year-old finally conceded a three-shot lead to Shamim when he found the hazard on the 17th for a bogey against the run of play.

Mukesh said, “I wish I had made just one birdie on the first five holes. That would’ve changed the course of the day. Nonetheless, I’m happy that I fought back well from the sixth onwards.

“My ball-striking has kept me in the contest so far but I have to sink those short putts in order to have a chance in the final round. I don’t have the option of sitting back in round four, I have to play aggressively from the word go and apply pressure on Shamim.”

Shankar Das was the highest-placed local professional in tied third. He was having a quiet day with pars till the seventh, but an astounding approach on the eighth set up a tap-in birdie for him. Shankar’s round took off thereafter as he went on to add an eagle and two birdies against a lone bogey.

SSP Chawrasia made an incredible four birdies on his last five holes to card a 72 which meant he closed the day in tied fifth, seven strokes off the lead.

Among the other prominent names, Chikkarangappa (76) was tied 10th at one-under-215, Rashid Khan (71) was tied 19th at two-over-218 and PGTI Order of Merit leader Ajeetesh Sandhu (72) was tied 24th at three-over-219.

Patna'a Aman Raj was tied 30th with 4 over 220 along with three others. He shot one over 73 today.

Photo and release: PGTI

Mukesh Kumar takes the halfway lead at Kolkata Classic; Patna's Aman Raj makes the cut

Mukesh Kumar

Kolkata, March 22, 2017: The seasoned Mukesh Kumar grabbed the halfway lead at the Kolkata Classic 2017 courtesy his second round of four-under-68. The man from Mhow was ahead by one at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) as his total read seven-under-137.

Delhi’s Shamim Khan also fired a second round score of 68 to occupy second place at six-under-138. His was the only bogey-free round of the day.

Pre-tournament favourite SSP Chawrasia of Kolkata brought in a card of 70 to end the day in tied fourth at three-under-141.

The cut fell at five-over-149. Fifty-four professionals made the cut. Patna's Aman Raj also made the cut with 3 over 147. On the second day, he shot one over 73 while on the first day, he fired 2 over 74.

Mukesh Kumar (69-68) moved up two spots from overnight tied third to first as a result of his determined second round effort which saw him fire five birdies at the expense of just one bogey.

The 51-year-old Mukesh, the winner of a record 18 titles on the PGTI who finally registered his first international win last year in Delhi, began his ascent to the top with a 25-feet birdie conversion on the fourth on Wednesday.

Mukesh’s birdie on the eighth was negated by a bogey on the 10th but the oldest winner on the Asian Tour came roaring back with a trail of birdies on the 14th, 15th and 16th. He was in troubled waters on the 15th and 16th but made excellent recoveries to extract birdies on both holes.

Mukesh said, “I have two victories at the RCGC, but it’s been a while since I last won here, definitely over a decade. So I’m eager to perform well this time. I was quite pleased with the way I recovered on a couple of holes today. I was in the bunker on the 15th and in the rough on the 16th, but managed birdies on both occasions.

“I’m well placed to consolidate from here on but the experienced Shamim, Chikka and Chawrasia are likely to give me tough competition over the next two days.

“I’m now focusing on sharpening my game further ahead of the Asian Tour event in Japan next month. The conditions will be totally different in Japan so I’m planning my preparation accordingly. The emphasis is on the approach shots and putting.”

Shamim Khan (70-68) climbed from overnight tied seventh to second place after delivering the only bogey-free round of the day. Shamim sank three birdies from a range of 12 to 30 feet on Wednesday.

“My driving has been off but despite that I’ve dropped just one bogey in the tournament so far. My short-game has kept me in contention. I matched the course record of 63 in the year-ending tournament held at the RCGC last year. That is a positive memory that I’ve carried into this event,” said Shamim.

While overnight joint leader Chikkarangappa of Bengaluru slipped to third at five-under-139 after shooting a 71 on day two, local favourite SSP Chawrasia made major gains with a 70 that took him from overnight tied 18th to tied fourth at three-under-141.

Chandigarh’s Sujjan Singh (71) and Sri Lankan N Thangaraja (71) joined Chawrasia in tied fourth.

Chiragh Kumar, the round one joint leader, slipped to tied 14th at even-par-144 after his second round of 76.

Delhi’s Rashid Khan and PGTI Order of Merit leader Ajeetesh Sandhu of Chandigarh were in tied 31st place at three-over-147.

Kolkata-based rookie Viraj Madappa (eight-over-152) missed the cut.

PGTI release and photo

Chikka, Chiragh call the shots in round one of Kolkata Classic

Chiragh Kumar

Chikkarangappa 

Kolkata, March 21, 2017: Established names and former PGTI Order of Merit champions Chikkarangappa and Chiragh Kumar called the shots in round one of the Kolkata Classic 2017 with matching scores of four-under-68 at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC).

While Bengaluru-based Chikka regained his putting formon Tuesday, Delhi’s Chiragh Kumar continued to impress following a creditable top-25 at the recently concluded Indian Open.

The Mhow-based duo of Mukesh Kumar and Om Prakash Chouhan, Chandigarh’s Feroz Singh Garewal and Delhi’s Ikramuddin Shah were bunched together in tied third at three-under-69.

The tournament’s star attraction, SSP Chawrasia of Kolkata, returning to his home course after his second consecutive Indian Open win, made a steady start with a one-under-71 to lie tied 18th.

Chikkarangappa, the 2015 PGTI Order of Merit champion, reaped the rewards of going back to the putter that was part of his golfing arsenal for 11 years and contributed to his tremendous success at the junior, amateur and professional levels. The brief spell in between when the two-time Asian Development Tour (ADT) winner tried out several different putters hadn’t been very fruitful.

Chikka started the week in style with three birdies on the first four holes but then had a torrid time from the fifth to the eighth, dropping four consecutive bogeys as a result of some erratic hitting.

After being level-par through 14 holes, the 23-year-old produced a final flourish which began with a 75-feet eagle conversion on the 15th. He signed off with two more long birdie conversions on the 17th and 18th.

“I think I’ve putted so well after almost a year. I missed some short ones on the front-nine but it was a different story on the back-nine where I kept draining it from long range,” said Chikka, who mixed an eagle and seven birdies with five bogeys.

He added, “I was trying out new things and kept changing my putter over the last one year. But that didn’t help. So, two weeks back, during the Indian Open, I went back to the putter that won me most of my titles since the junior level.

“Now, I feel much more confident on the greens. As the putter is perfectly in sync with my routine, I don’t think too much and just make my stroke. This thing was missing in my game over the last one year.

“I’m now looking to post a top finish here at the RCGC, the venue where I won the PGTI year-ending championship in 2015. That would also help me get my Asian Tour season back on track since I missed cut in four consecutive events on the tour before the Indian Open.”

Chiragh Kumar, fresh from an impressive tied 22nd finish at the Indian Open, continued the good work with a solid start to the Kolkata Classic week. Chiragh, one-over through the front-nine, kick-started his round with a 45-feet birdie conversion on the 10th. From there on, he went on to add an eagle and three birdies at the cost of just one bogey.

Chiragh, the 2012 PGTI Order of Merit champion, said, “My second shot from over 200 yards that landed within five feet and resulted in an eagle on the 15th was the highlight of the day.

“I’ve enjoyed a good start to the Asian Tour season with a top-5 in Bangladesh and another decent result at the Indian Open. I’m playing well and have been consistent of late. Hitting and putting, it all came together today,” added Chiragh, a tournament winner on the Asian Tour.

SSP Chawrasia sank three birdies against two bogeys on day one to occupy tied 18th place at one-under-71.

Chawrasia said, “An under-par round here at RCGC is always a good start. There’s a lot of golf yet to be played this week and being three off the lead in round one is not too bad.

“I feel the one week break from golf after the Indian Open has done me a lot of good. It was necessary for me to recharge my battery, so that I could get rid of the physical and mental fatigue after such a demanding week at the DLF Golf & Country Club. I feel, I’m now back in the competitive zone.”

Kolkata-based rookie Viraj Madappa, playing his first professional event in his home town, shot a 79 to be placed tied 101st.

Press release and photo: PGTI

VIVO IPL 2017 Trophy Tour debuts in Patna

Patna, March 20, 2017: Following a successful run in 7 cities across India, the VIVO IPL trophy gripped the people of Patna in excitement when it reached its eighth destination, Central mall here on Monday.

The fans were excited to see the trophy their team will be competing for during the tournament. 

The devotees of the sport in Patna got a chance to capture themselves in a special moment with the Vivo IPL trophy. Actress Rhea Chakraborty added excitement amongst the crowd when the trophy made a stopover at Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park and selfie enthusiasts got a chance to capture perfect selfies with the VIVO IPL trophy.

Around 1500 enthusiastic fans enjoyed the sight of the coveted VIVOIPL trophy and engaged themselves in various exciting activities. The trophy is now heading towards the city of Ranchi.

Kolkata Classic golf championship returns for second edition

Kolkata, March 20, 2017: The Kolkata Classic Golf Championship is set to return for its second edition at the historic Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) from March 21, 2017. The Kolkata Classic, the fourth event of the Professional Golf Tour of India’s (PGTI) 2017 season, carries a prize purse of Rs. 40 lakh. The tournament will be played fromMarch 21 to 24 with the Pro-Am event scheduled for March 25.

  

Alcove and LIC are the Associate Sponsors of the Kolkata Classic 2017. The Official Partners of the tournament include Flamingos, Halmari, Oak Gallerie and Veeba. Balaji Ads is the Outdoor Media Partner.

  

The tournament brings together some of India’s leading professionals such as reigning Indian Open champion and local lad SSP Chawrasia, Asian Tour regulars Rashid Khan (2016 PGTI Order of Merit champion), Chikkarangappa, Mukesh Kumar, Chiragh Kumar, as well as winners from the current PGTI season Ajeetesh Sandhu (2017 PGTI Order of Merit leader), Udayan Mane and Honey Baisoya. The foreign challenge will be led by the Sri Lankan trio of Mithun Perera, Anura Rohana and N Thangaraja as well as Australian Kunal Bhasin.

  

Besides Chawrasia, the field also features other prominent names from Kolkata such as Shankar Das (2014 PGTI Order of Merit champion), former Indian Open champion Feroz Ali Mollah, Divyanshu Bajaj and rookie Viraj Madappa.

   

This is a 72-hole stroke-play tournament featuring a field of 126 professionals. The cut will be applied after the first 36 holes. The top 50 players and ties will make the halfway cut and continue to play for another 36 holes.

  

Olympian SSP Chawrasia returns to his home course RCGC fresh from a remarkable second straight Indian Open triumph in Gurgaon two weeks back. The local favourite, who now has four European Tour titles to his credit, said, “I’ve had a great start to the season with victory at the Indian Open. It was a very special week for me as I won the coveted title for the second year running. I’m now delighted to be playing at my home course once again.

  

“I took a break from golf last week and didn’t practice at all. All my friends here at RCGC who watched me win the Indian Open on TV have been reliving the experience with me over the last week by discussing my performance and congratulating me.

  

“I’m excited about playing the Kolkata Classic. The tournament will go a long way in further promoting the sport in Kolkata. The field is quite strong this year with the likes of Rashid, Chikka and Chiragh participating. All of them have done well on the Asian Tour in the recent past. One can expect a pulsating contest. The RCGC course looks in great shape as always and one will require a good all round game to perform well here.”

  

Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said, “The Kolkata Classic provides us an ideal platform to further grow professional golf in the city of Kolkata which has over the years produced numerous players of international repute. The presence of big names in the field such as newly-crowned Indian Open champion SSP Chawrasia, Rashid Khan and Chikkarangappa make for an exciting week of golf. We wish the players all the best.”

Mr. Yashaswi Shroff, Director of Alcove Realty, the Associate Sponsors of the tournament, said, “The tournament is a great platform for young golfers for boosting their game and to make them more competitive. They get an opportunity to play with ace golfers such as SSP Chawrasia and Rashid Khan and their likes. The handsome prize purse on offer is a great incentive for the golfers."

  

The venue for the tournament, the world-renowned Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC), is steeped in history, being the oldest golf club outside of the British Isles, having been established in 1829. It is widely regarded as the founder of the game in the country and has staged some of the most prestigious tournaments on Indian soil, including the Indian Open and the All India Amateur Championship. The 7237-yard course favours long hitters and inaccurate shots are punished severely. The large number of water hazards makes this course a real challenge to master.

Picture caption: Professionals SSP Chawrasia (3rd from left) and Udayan Mane (4th from left) pose with the trophy. Also seen in the picture are Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI (3rd from right), Mr. Gaurav Ghosh, General Committee Member, RCGC (2nd from right), Col. Devrishi Singhal (Retd.), CEO, RCGC (extreme right), Mr. Yashaswi Shroff, Director, Alcove (2nd from left) and Mr. Prashant Jalan, Partner, Flamingos Sports LLP (extreme left).

PGTI release and photo