Atwal back to action in Indian Masters

A host of Indian golfers believe that the inaugural EMAAR-MGF Indian Masters will signal the rise of Indian golf and showcase to the rest of the world the quality and depth of golfing talents in the country when the tournament begins at the Delhi Golf Club from February 7-10.

The strong Indian contingent, led by 2006 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, Jeev Milkha Singh, will be challenging for top honours against a star-studded field that includes world number five Ernie Els, Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clark and Mark O'Meara.

"It's an historic moment for Indian golf and a great opportunity for all of us to showcase our talent on the global stage," said Harmeet Kahlon, a seasoned Asian Tour stalwart.

Home-grown players like Singh, Jyoti Randhawa, Arjun Atwal and Shiv Kapur have already put Indian golf on the world map with their exploits on different tours, and this tournament could well thrust new names to the spotlight. Their local knowledge and home ground advantage could also prove decisive when the winner of this US$2.5 million event is determined.

The 'Fab Four' will be joined by Gaurav Ghei, Gaganjit Bhullar, Digvijay Singh, Ashok Kumar, SSP Chowrasia, Uttam Singh Mundi, Himmat Singh, Anir Lahairi, to name a few, to lead the Indian challenge against the might of European Tour players. The Indian Masters is sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and Professional Golf Tour of India.

"The standard of Indian golf has risen to such an extent that if an Indian goes on to win the tournament, it won't be a surprise, but a reflection on the depth of our golfing talent in the country," said Kahlon who hails from Chandigarh, the cradle of Indian golf.

"When it comes to playing home courses, Indians are tigers. They know how to leverage their 'local knowledge' and this could be our biggest advantage," added the 37-year-old professional.

"I'm really impressed by the enthusiasm of the Indian players. They are looking charged up and that's a healthy sign, something that will bring more intensity to the competition," said Mohamed Buamaim, vice-chairman and CEO of Golf in Dubai – the promoters and organisers of the EMAAR-MGF Indian Masters.

"If an Indian, or for that matter any Asian player goes on to win the trophy, it will just be a sign of the times in an ever-changing world. I wish all players the very best and hope they have an enjoyable tournament," added Mohamed.

'Golf in Dubai', in cooperation with the three professional tours (European Tour, Asian Tour and Professional Golf Tour of India), are bringing the best players in the game together to celebrate Indian golf for the inaugural EMAAR-MGF Indian Masters.

The EMAAR-MGF Indian Masters has attracted a high-profile sponsorship line-up including EMAAR-MGF as the Main Sponsor, and Omega and CNN as valued co-sponsors.

As the joint richest golf event ever played in the country, the EMAAR-MGF Indian Masters is set to inject new excitement and anticipation into the country’s golf scene when it arrives in the heart of India’s capital in February.

January 28, 2008

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