McLeod Russel Tour Championship

Edited by Anand Datla

McLeod Russel Tour Championship – Race to Royal Calcutta Golf Club to tee-off on December 25th

• PGTI’s Year Ending Championship

• Prize purse of Rs. 1.5 Cr, highest-ever in India

• Top 60 players on the Rolex Rankings to be joined by four sponsor invites including Arjun Atwal, Gaganjeet Bhullar, SSP Chowrasia and Rahil Gangjee

Kolkata, December 24, 2014: McLeod Russel, the world’s largest tea producer, and the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), will jointly stage the McLeod Russel Tour Championship 2014, the PGTI’s Year Ending Championship, at the prestigious Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) from December 25 – 28, 2014. The tournament’s prize purse of Rs. 1.5 crore is the highest-ever for a domestic event in India.

The event will see the top 60 players from the Rolex Rankings 2014 such as Om Prakash Chouhan (Rolex Rankings leader), Chikkarangappa S (2014 Super Series champion), local favourite Shankar Das, Rashid Khan, Mukesh Kumar and Khalin Joshi compete for top honours alongside the likes of the four sponsor invites and international stars Arjun Atwal, Gaganjeet Bhullar, SSP Chowrasia and Rahil Gangjee. Arjun Atwal, the only Indian winner on the PGA Tour, will be playing his first event on the PGTI.

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.  While the inaugural edition of the McLeod Russel Tour Championship in 2012 carried a prize purse of Rs. 1.25 crore, the prize money in the second edition in 2013 increased to Rs. 1.35 crore. The prize money for the third edition in 2014 has witnessed a further increase to Rs. 1.5 crore.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Aditya Khaitan, Managing Director, McLeod Russel, said, “After the success of 2012 & 2013, we are very happy to be hosting the third edition of the McLeod Russel Tour Championship. We are very happy with the response from the Top Golfers and also everyone who came out and supported this event. 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 are also encouraged to see the level of play by the local amateurs this season at various tournaments. McLeod Russel’s heritage is based on values, culture and commitment and a strong belief in supporting and backing the right talent, and keeping that in mind, we will continue to sponsor one professional and two amateur golfers from Kolkata for the 2015 season. We hope this will help the young golfers in taking the next steps in realizing their full golfing potential. We will be on the lookout for budding golfers in the future as well, and have put in place a committee to evaluate and identify budding golfers. 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, Mr. Padamjit Sandhu, Director, PGTI, said, “An enthralling season finale awaits the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) as the best players in the Indian sub-continent contend for top honours at the 2014 McLeod Russel Tour Championship, the richest ever domestic event in India. The race for the Rolex Player of the Year is still wide open and that makes it an even more exciting contest. We thank McLeod Russel for their strong support to professional golf and look forward to continuing our valued partnership with them in the years to come.”

Mr. Aditya Kumar Bajoria, Captain, Royal Calcutta Golf Club, said, “The McLeod Russel Tour Championship in three years of its inception has attained the tag of one of the best professional tournaments of the country. It has a symbiotic relationship with the Royal Calcutta Golf Club. Over the three years the prize money has also gradually grown to Rs. 1.5 crore. The best professionals have been competing hard against each other and the hazards of the Royal to throw us some exciting rounds of golf. We are sure this year too we will see some extraordinary golf and awesome drives, chips and putts. McLeod Russel has put in its heart and soul to make this tournament the best in the country.”