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Atwal back to action in Indian Masters

Indian star Arjun Atwal will be aiming to re-establish his dominance on the Asian Tour when he headlines the inaugural Emaar MGF-Indian Masters in February.

The talented Atwal will be amongst the top Asian stalwarts heading to Delhi Golf Club from February 7 to 10 where 2006 Order of Merit winner Jeev Milkha Singh of India and Thai stars Thongchai Jaidee and Chapchai Nirat will also compete in the US$2.5 million event.

South African star Ernie Els will be amongst the world-class names competing in the Asian Tour’s season-opening event. The Emaar MGF-Indian Masters is also sanctioned by the European Tour and Professional Golf Tour of India.

After being crowned as Asia’s king of golf in 2003, Atwal forced his way onto the US PGA Tour through a successful campaign in Qualifying School and became the first Indian to play on the world’s most lucrative circuit.

After one second place finish and six other top-10s over a span of four seasons, the Calcutta-born Atwal lost his US card at the end of 2007 but he will be hoping to bounce straight back in Asia.

A six-time winner on the Asian Tour, Atwal enjoyed his best career year in 2003 when he won the Malaysian Open and the Hero Honda Masters on home soil, which saw him become the first Asian player to surpass US$1 million in career earnings. Those wins helped him lift the prestigious Asian Tour’s Order of Merit title.

A return to Delhi Golf Club next month will give him a significant confidence boost as his victory at the Hero Honda Masters was achieved at the venerable venue.

Last year, he also featured on the secondary circuit, the Nationwide Tour last year, in the US, posting one top-three and two other top-10s. His last appearance on the Asian Tour was at the 2005 HSBC Champions in China.

Countryman Jyoti Randhawa will be another player eager to tee up at Delhi Golf Club. Randhawa has triumphed at the fabled course over the last two years, winning the Hero Honda Indian Open where he matched the record three tournament victories held by Australian legend Peter Thomson.

The other leading Asian Tour stars set for the season opener include Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng, Filipino duo of Artemio Murakami and Frankie Minoza, Lee Sung of Korea, Singapore’s Mardan Mamat and Lin Wen-tang of Chinese Taipei.

Former US PGA Tour regular Scott Hend of Australia, fourth on the Order of Merit last year, will also be heading to India to launch his new season and will be joined by other top names including India’s Shiv Kapur, the 2005 Asian Tour’s Rookie of the Year, Scotsman Simon Yates and Malaysia’s Iain Steel and Airil Rizman.

January 22, 2008