Thaindian News

New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANS) The European Challenge Tour makes a historic first visit to India with the inaugural Gujarat Kensville Challenge Golf tournament from January 13-16.The 200,000 euro event, the first tournament on the 2011 Challenge Tour Schedule, will be co-sanctioned with the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and staged at the Kensville Golf Club near Ahmedabad.

The 7,250 yards (6,631 metres), par-72 parkland course, which opened in 2007, was co-designed by three-time European Tour champion Jeev Milkha Singh.

The field will be 114 players, with 60 from the Challenge Tour and the remaining 54 from PGTI.

Padamjit Sandhu, director of PGTI, said: “The growth and consolidation of professional golf in India is opening up strong and exciting opportunities for partnerships with international Tours. The Gujarat Kensville Challenge will help create a great platform for Indian professionals to compete against the best players from the European Challenge Tour. We thank the sponsors and the European Challenge Tour for their partnership with the PGTI, and we look forward to some very exciting golf in Ahmedabad.”

Sameer Sinha, managing director of Kensville Golf Course, said: “We are delighted to host the 2011 Gujarat Kensville Challenge. I believe that, with this event, golf has truly arrived in style in our state of Gujarat. We hope this event will be the first of many at Kensville in the coming years. I would like to extend a personal welcome to all Challenge Tour players from across the world, and promise to deliver a great tournament at Kensville, in keeping with India’s famous hospitality.”

The event, which will be played for at least the next three years, sees the Challenge Tour fall into line with the European Tour, which first staged an event in India in February 2008, when Kolkata boy Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia won the EMAAR-MGF Indian Masters at Delhi Golf Club.