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