Hyderabad: The 12th edition of the Telangana Golconda Masters will be played at the Hyderabad Golf Association (HGA) from September 1 to 4, with a strong field of 132 golfers competing for a prize purse of INR 1 crore.
The DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (DP World PGTI) event will feature Order of Merit leader Saptak Talwar, Honey Baisoya, Veer Ahlawat, Rashid Khan, local professional Mohd Azhar and defending champion Jamal Hossain of Bangladesh.
The tournament was jointly announced by Jupally Krishna Rao, Minister of Prohibition & Excise, Tourism & Culture and Archaeology, Government of Telangana, and Kapil Dev, President of DP World PGTI, at a press conference at the Hyderabad Golf Association on Saturday.
The Government of Telangana has supported the tournament since its inception in 2015.
Strong Indian and international field
Among the leading Indian professionals in the field are Talwar, Baisoya, Ahlawat, Rashid Khan, Akshay Sharma and Om Prakash Chouhan.
The overseas challenge will be led by defending champion Jamal Hossain and fellow Bangladeshi Badal Hossain.
Czech Republic’s Stepan Danek, Sri Lanka’s N Thangaraja and Mithun Perera, Nepal’s Subash Tamang, Uganda’s Joshua Seale and Japanese golfers Koichiro Ishika and Taiga Tanaka will also compete.
Hyderabad-based professionals Mohd Azhar, Vishesh Sharma and Rupinder Singh Gill will lead the local challenge.
The tournament is supported by Event Partners Telangana Tourism, Hyderabad Golf Association, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace and The Q Golf Studio by Playroot Golf.
DP World, Axis Bank, Amul, Enerlyte, Air India Maharaja Club, Kalyani, Golf Plus Monthly and Golf Design India are the Tour Partners.
Race to DP World India Championship in focus
The Telangana Golconda Masters is also part of the Race to DP World India Championship, the competition that will determine the DP World PGTI’s number one player.
The race will also decide the top 24 players on the DP World PGTI Order of Merit who will qualify for the season-ending DP World India Championship.
Jupally Krishna Rao said the tournament had become an important event on the Indian golfing calendar and provided Telangana an opportunity to promote its tourism potential.
“We are delighted to be associated with the 12th edition of the Telangana Golconda Masters, a prestigious tournament that has established itself as an important event on the Indian golfing calendar. With the tournament carrying Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points and attracting some of the leading professional golfers from India as well as overseas, it provides Telangana with an excellent platform to showcase its rich tourism potential to a global audience,” he said.
“Hyderabad, with its unique blend of history, heritage, culture and modernity, offers tremendous opportunities for golf tourism. The magnificent Hyderabad Golf Club, located against the iconic backdrop of the historic Golconda Fort, provides a truly distinctive setting for this championship and highlights the immense potential of Telangana as a golf tourism destination.
“The Tourism Department, Government of Telangana, is proud to have been associated with the International Event – Telangana Golconda Masters for several years and looks forward to continuing this partnership to further promote golf tourism and position Telangana as a preferred destination for both domestic and international visitors. I extend a warm welcome to all the participating golfers, officials and visitors to Telangana and wish all the players an exciting and successful tournament.”
Kapil Dev expects closely fought contest
Kapil Dev said the tournament had established itself as one of the prominent events on the DP World PGTI calendar.
“We are extremely excited to return for the 12th edition of the Telangana Golconda Masters, an event that has established itself as one of the most eagerly-awaited tournaments on the DP World PGTI schedule,” he said.
“We are grateful to Telangana Tourism for its continued support and partnership in taking the tournament from strength to strength, and we thank the Hyderabad Golf Association for once again providing us with an excellent venue.
“The tournament will go a long way in promoting Telangana and the city of Hyderabad as a leading destination for golf tourism. With a strong field and great playing conditions provided by the HGA, we look forward to another exciting and closely-fought contest at the Telangana Golconda Masters.”
HGA Captain Jasvinder Singh Birgi said hosting the tournament gave members an opportunity to watch some of the country’s leading professionals in action.
“We are honored to host the 12th edition of the prestigious Telangana Golconda Masters at the Hyderabad Golf Association. It is a proud moment for us to welcome some of the country’s finest golfing talent to our course,” Birgi said.
“This tournament is a great opportunity for our members to witness top-tier competition and it also showcases our magnificent golf course to a global audience through the Live Telecast. The players will compete to win the magnificent trophy depicting the historic Golconda Fort which was launched by HGA during the first edition of the event. We look forward to an exciting week of world-class golf.”
Golconda Fort provides backdrop to tournament
Promoted by the Telangana Tourism Development Corporation and the Hyderabad Golf Association, the 212-acre golf facility has an 18-hole, 6,017-yard, par-70 layout.
It also features a floodlit driving range, pro shop, golf fitting shop and training and practice facilities.
The venue has a modern clubhouse with a dining hall, lounge, open deck and changing rooms, with the historic Golconda Fort providing the backdrop for the tournament.
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