Kolkata: McLeod Russel, the world’s largest tea producer, and the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), on Saturday announced the McLeod Russel Tour Championship 2015, the PGTI’s year-ending Championship. The tournament will be staged at the prestigious Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) from December 24 – 27, 2015. The tournament carries a handsome prize purse of Rs. 1.5 crore, the highest for a domestic event in India.
The event will see the top 60 players from the Rolex Ranking 2015 compete for top honours. This year the field will also feature sponsor invites including the 2013 champion SSP Chawrasia, Jyoti Randhawa, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Rahil Gangjee, Chiragh Kumar and Himmat Singh Rai along with foreign players Md Siddikur Rahman (Bangladesh), Mithun Perera (Sri Lanka), Koh Deng Shan (Singapore) and Sean Navin Shrestha Einhaus (Germany).
The tournament will be a 72-hole stroke-play championship and there will be no cut applied after 36 holes. All players will be guaranteed prize money. The Pro-Am event preceding the tournament will be played on December 22nd and 23rd.
Speaking on the occasion, Kamal Baheti, Whole-time Director, McLeod Russel India Limited (McLeod Russel), said “After the big success of first edition from 2012 - 2014, we are happy to be hosting the first year of second edition (2015 - 2017) of McLeod Russel Tour Championship. We are very pleased with the response from top golfers and everyone else who supported this event wholeheartedly. This is our small gesture of giving golf a boost in the Eastern Region and hope that it will lead to the growth of the game eventually. We are also encouraged to see the level of play by local amateurs this season at various tournaments. McLeod Russel’s heritage is based on values, culture and commitment and a strong belief in supporting and backing the right talent, and keeping that in mind, we will continue to sponsor one professional and two amateur golfers from Kolkata for the 2016 season. We will continue to be on the lookout for budding golfers in the future as well, and have put in place a committee to evaluate and identify budding golfers. We take this opportunity to thank the PGTI and the Royal Calcutta Golf Club for the opportunity to host the Championship this year. We are committed to the McLeod Russel Tour Championship and in the development of golf.”
Announcing the event, Uttam Singh Mundy, Director, PGTI, said, “The McLeod Russel Tour Championship 2015, like its previous editions, is set to provide yet another fascinating finale to the PGTI season, as the Rolex Player of the Year title is up for grabs with many contenders in the fray. The golf fans in Kolkata are in for a treat as the leading names in Indian golf go head-to-head at the historic Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC), for the biggest prize of the season. We thank McLeod Russel for their undying support to Indian professional golf and look forward to continuing our partnership with them in the years to come.”
Abhay Pasari, General Committee Member & Golf Convener, Royal Calcutta Golf Club, said, “It’s a privilege for the RCGC to host the 4th edition of the McLeod Russel Tour Championship. It’s an exciting event with a two day Pro Am for the members and invitees. I am told that this year a few foreign invitees will also be participating with the best from India. I take this opportunity to wish all of them all the very best.”
