DANIEL CHOPRA, ARJUN ATWAL, JYOTI RANDHAWA, JEEV MILKHA SINGH & C MUNIYAPPA LEAD THE PACKED FIELD
US$ 1.25 MN. PRIZE PURSE EVENT TO BE TELECAST LIVE FOR THE FIRST TIME ON ALL FOUR DAYS
The Hero Honda Indian Open, the flagship event of the Indian golfing calendar, is set to tee off from December 2nd to 5th this year. The event - in its 47th year now – will see some of the top names from the international golfing circuit including the top-notch Indian stars vie for top honors.
To be played at the historic Delhi Golf Club, the Hero Honda Indian Open - the richest full-field golfing event on the Asian Tour with US$ 1.25 million prize purse – has confirmed participation from defending champion C Muniyappa, top Swedish player of Indian origin Daniel Chopra, US PGA Tour Wyndham Championship 2010 winner Arjun Atwal, and other top Indian players such as Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa, SSP Chowrasia and Shiv Kapur.
The Pro-Am will be played on two days i.e 30 Nov and 01 Dec. The Hero Honda Indian Open 2010 will be telecast live on ESPN-Star Sports on all four days for the first time. In the previous years, the event used to be telecast live only on the last two days.
Announcing this here today, Mr. Pawan Munjal, MD & CEO, Hero Honda Motors Ltd, said “Golf is today the fastest-growing sport in the country – both in terms of popularity and infrastructure. Golfing facilities in the country today are comparable to global standards. Many years ago, we at Hero Honda made a commitment for the promotion of Golf in India, and it gives us immense satisfaction today to see our golfers being ranked amongst the best in Asia and making their mark on the European circuit and even in the US PGA Tour.
“The Hero Honda Indian Open is our national open and it is a matter of great honour and prestige to win this tournament. The live telecast of the event on all four days will go a long way in further popularizing the game amongst youngsters. I am sure we will see some of the most keenly-fought golfing action during the four days of the Hero Honda Indian Open,” he added.
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Hero Honda Motors Ltd, the world’s largest manufacturer of two-wheelers and one of the most prominent corporate promoters of sports in India, has been the Title Sponsor of the Indian Open for six consecutive years. Hero Honda has also been the title sponsor of as many as 12 events on the Asian Tour, the first one dating back to 1997.
Hero Honda is also the Title Sponsor of the Women’s Indian Open, which will be held next month. This marks the first occasion that the same Corporate is sponsoring the National Opens in both men and women’s section.
The Hero Honda Indian Open will return to its familiar environment, the popular Delhi Golf Club, which has hosted the Indian Open most number of times amongst all golfing venues in India.
Hero Honda have been the title sponsors of the Indian Open since 2005 when the prize money was US$ 300,000, and have consistently increased the purse, something that is in tune with the country’s emergence as a golfing powerhouse.
The Delhi Golf Club has been the site of many an Indian triumph in international golf. Its challenging layout and a lovely ambience among historic monuments amidst beautiful flora and fauna brings the best out of the players.
The tournament was first staged at the Delhi Golf Club in 1964, and till 2000, it was shared between the DGC and the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC). The Classic Golf Resort (CGR) staged the Indian Open twice in 2000 and 2001 and the DLF Golf Country Club hosted it in 2009.
Manjit Singh, the Vice President of the Indian Golf Union, said, "The Indian Open is and will always remain India's premier golf tournament. The event has grown in stature and is considered one of the best in Asia. It has a rich history and our own golfers have done the country proud with their achievements in this sport. We have an excellent crop of youngsters coming up, too. Many of the current top pros have come through the programmes initiated by the IGU and I am confident that this trend will continue.”
“The Indian Golf Union looks forward to a long, healthy and rewarding association with Professional Golf that will substantially contribute towards the growth and improvement of golf in India,” added Manjit Singh.
Most of India’s top stars are expected to tee-up at the event. Jeev Milkha Singh, multiple winner on Asian and European Tours, and Arjun Atwal, who recently became the first Indian to win on US PGA Tour, are expected to come for the event.
Defending champion C Muniyappa will lead the remainder of the Indian challenge, which will include Jyoti Randhawa, Anirban Lahiri, Shiv Kapur, Rahil Gangjee and others. China’s Liang Wen-chong who claimed the title in 2008 and has confirmed to return along with the Asian Tours top players. In addition, Daniel Chopra, one of the country’s favorite golfing sons, will compete. Among Daniel’s wins are two titles on the PGA Tour in 2007 and 2008.
Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han said: “Our talented members are looking forward to the Hero Honda Indian Open, especially when there is a lucrative prize fund of US$1.25 million to play for. As the championship is slated towards the end of our season, it will shape the race for the prestigious Order of Merit crown which is being contested keenly by our top stars. The Indian Open has grown tremendously over the years and on behalf of the Tour, I would like to extend our fullest appreciation to our title sponsor Hero Honda and also the Indian Golf Union, who are the guardians of the Indian Open.”
World Sport Group will promote the event for the sixth consecutive year. They are responsible for the sponsorship, event management, and media affairs of the tournament.
“A lot of hard work has been put into the Hero Honda Indian Open to ensure we deliver a world class golf tournament. The tournament improves every year and we would like to thank Hero Honda, the Indian Golf Union and DLF Golf &Country Club for all their support,” said Chris Jordan, Senior Vice President - Golf, World Sport Group.