Kolkata: McLeod Russel, the world’s largest tea producer, and the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), today announced the McLeod Russel Tour Championship 2016, the PGTI’s year-ending Championship.
The tournament will be staged at the prestigious Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) from December 22 – 25, 2016. 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 50 players from the Rolex Ranking 2016 compete for the biggest prize purse of the season.
Besides the top names on the Rolex Ranking, the field will also feature sponsor invites which will include a galaxy of top Indian stars such as Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal, former champion SSP Chawrasia, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Shiv Kapur, Jyoti Randhawa and Rahil Gangjee along with foreign players such as two-time Asian Tour winner Pariya Junhasavasdikul (Thailand), Mithun Perera (Sri Lanka), a multiple winner on the PGTI, Shintaro Kobayashi (Japan), Suradit Yongcharoenchai (Thailand), Choo Tze-Huang (Singapore), Choo Zhe Ming (Malaysia), Kemarol Baharin (Malaysia) and Naru Toshi Yamaoka (Japan).
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 20th and 21st.
Speaking on the occasion, Aditya Khaitan, Managing Director, McLeod Russel, said, “We are very happy to be hosting the 5thedition of the McLeod Russel Tour Championship. The response from the Top Golfers and also everyone who came out and supported this event has been excellent. This year we have a top 50 field from the PGTI order of merit, and we have international flavor as well.
This will be a great opportunity for people to come and watch and learn from the Top Professionals in India and Asia. This is our small way of giving golf a boost in this region and we hope that it will eventually lead to the growth of the game.
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 2016 will make for an enthralling week of golf as the race for the Rolex Player of the Year title is too close to call with many contenders in the fray.
The added presence of some of the biggest international stars of Indian golf as well as some renowned foreign players will spice up the contest even more. The hallowed turf of the prestigious Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) provides the ideal setting for this grand occasion.
We thank McLeod Russel for their enduring support to Indian professional golf and look forward to continuing our partnership with them in the years to come.”
Gaurav Ghosh, General Committee Member, Royal Calcutta Golf Club, said, “It’s a pleasure for the RCGC to host the McLeod Russel Tour Championship yet again. It gives an opportunity to all top professionals to play at the iconic golf course at its best.”
