Golf: Second edition of SSP Chawrasia Invitational gets underway from December 7

Kolkata, Dec 5 (IANS) The second edition of the SSP Chawrasia Invitational golf tournament will get underway at the historic Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) from December 7 to 10.

The tournament, launched last year as a gesture to honour Indian golfing legend SSP Chawrasia, offers an impressive prize purse of Rs 1 crore. The Pro-Am event will be played on December 6.

The stellar field at the tournament will feature 124 professionals the leading Indian names being event host SSP Chawrasia, Defending champion, Manu Gandas (2022 PGTI Order of Merit champion), Rashid Khan, Om Prakash Chouhan (2023 PGTI Ranking leader), Rahil Gangjee, Khalin Joshi, Chikkarangappa, Veer Ahlawat, Karan Pratap Singh, Udayan Mane and Aman Raj, to name a few.

The leading foreign names in the field are those of Sri Lankans N Thangaraja, Anura Rohana, K Prabagaran, Bangladeshis Badal Hossain, Md Akbar Hossain, Md Dulal Hossain, American Varun Chopra, Nepal’s Sukra Bahadur Rai, Canada’s Sukhraj Singh Gill and Andorra’s Kevin Esteve Rigaill.

The other prominent names participating from the host city of Kolkata besides SSP Chawrasia are Shankar Das, Divyanshu Bajaj, Mohammad Sanju, Arjun Puri and Raju Ali Mollah.

The legendary SSP Chawrasia is the second Indian professional golfer after Jeev Milkha Singh to have a PGTI event named in his honour. SSP has a long list of accomplishments including being one of only two Indian golfers to have won four DP World Tour titles.

He has won six titles on the Asian Tour and is a two-time Indian Open champion. Chawrasia has the distinction of having represented India at the Rio Olympics 2016 and the World Cup of Golf 2016. He also represented Team Asia at the Eurasia Cup in 2016 and 2018. SSP, a winner of 17 professional titles, was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2017.

Tournament host Chawrasia said: “I’m really looking forward to playing host at the second edition of the SSP Chawrasia Invitational presented by TAKE Sports. I feel privileged to have an event named in my honour. I would like to thank Mr. Srinivasan HR, TAKE Sports, PGTI and RCGC for their continued support to this event.

“With a strong field and perfect course conditions provided by the RCGC, we can expect a week of exciting golf. I’m also very motivated to performing well at my home course. I wish the players all the best.”

Srinivasan H R, Director, TAKE Sports and President, PGTI, said: “After a highly successful inaugural edition last year, TAKE Sports is once again honoured to partner Indian golfing great SSP Chawrasia in staging the second edition of the SSP Chawrasia Invitational as an acknowledgement of his path-breaking achievements at the international stage which have contributed in raising the stature of Indian professional golf.

“I would like to wish the players all the best as we look forward to a fascinating contest with a strong field in attendance as the race for the TATA Steel PGTI Ranking crown gets even more intense.”

Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said: “The SSP Chawrasia Invitational presented by TAKE Sports is a fitting tribute to the invaluable contribution made by SSP Chawrasia to Indian golf through his extraordinary achievements on the international stage. SSP continues to be an inspiring figure for the next generation of Indian golfers.

“We thank Mr. Srinivasan H R, TAKE Sports and RCGC, for their continued support to this event. We look forward to some exhilarating golfing action as a strong field is set to stake claim for the big prize purse on offer.”

Gaurav Ghosh, Captain, RCGC, said: “As SSP Chawrasia's home course, it gives us immense pleasure to host the second edition of the SSP Chawrasia Invitational in partnership with PGTI and TAKE Sports. The tournament is a true recognition of SSP's outstanding achievements at the international level. This event will go a long way in inspiring more youngsters from the Club and the city of Kolkata in emulating SSP's feats.

“We have worked towards providing the ideal playing conditions and we look forward to the professionals enjoying the experience of playing at RCGC.”