Digboi: The 16th edition of IndianOil SERVO Masters Golf will be held from 18th to 21st November, 2015, at the Digboi Golf Links under the aegis of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI). The prize money for the tournament is Rs. 30 lakh. The Pro-Am event will be held on 22nd November.
The field will feature a total of 89 players including 87 professionals and two amateurs. The top 50 players and ties will make the cut after round two.
The field boasts of top Indian professionals such as former champions Shamim Khan (defending champion), Shankar Das, Mukesh Kumar (six-time champion) and Sanjay Kumar, as well as rookie Udayan Mane, Sujjan Singh and Om Prakash Chouhan, all multiple winners on the PGTI.
Australian Kunal Bhasin, winner of the 2013 edition, will be leading the foreign challenge this year. Besides Bhasin, the other foreign players participating are, Sri Lankans N Thangaraja and B G Lalith Kumara and South Korean Min Kyung Kim.
There are four local professionals in the field, namely Binode Gogoi, Biren Karmakar, Deven Bhumij and Rashidul Ahmed, all of whom hail from Digboi and its surrounding areas. Both the amateurs in the field, Deep Raj Chetia and Zakir Hussain, also belong to Digboi.
Mr. Amitava Misra, General Manager I/C, IndianOil AOD, remarked, “The 16th edition of IndianOil SERVO Masters Golf speaks of IndianOil’s commitment to the promotion of this unique sport while caring for and sustaining nature in this heritage oil town of Digboi despite the rapidly changing times being experienced by the Industry. The growing popularity of the Digboi event upholds commendable efforts of IndianOil and PGTI together. I send across wishes of success for this prestigious golfing event of India.”
Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, Director, PGTI, said, “We thank the Indian Oil Corporation for partnering with us in staging the IndianOil Servo Masters Golf. The IndianOil Servo Masters Golf, one of the longest-running events on the PGTI, has played a major role in promoting professional golf in the North-Eastern region of the country. The support of sponsors such as Indian Oil Corporation has gone a long way in helping us build a strong domestic structure at home which in turn has contributed to the success of Indians at the international stage. We look forward to another enthralling week of golf as the leading Indian professionals tee it up at the picturesque Digboi Golf Links.”
The venue, the picturesque Digboi Golf Links, is a golfer’s delight. The course is a one of its kind in terms of ambience as it is situated among the lush tea estates and thick forest of eastern Assam. The historic Digboi Golf Links is bordered by the Dehing forest reserve on three sides and the magnificent Patkai range of mountains on the fourth. This 72 par course with a yardage of 6329 could also be termed as the best in the north-eastern part of the country due to its magnificent layout.
