Asian Tour stalwart S.S.P. Chowrasia of India has pledged his support for the Asian Development Tour's (ADT) newest golf event by committing to the inaugural TAKE Solutions India Masters which gets underway Wednesday.
The two-time Asian Tour winner will be joined by Niall Turner of Ireland and American Brett Munson, placed third and fourth respectively on the current Order of Merit, at the $70,000 event which is the first ADT event to be held in India.
Young talent Khalin Joshi of India and one-time Asian Tour winner Himmat Rai, also of India, will also be vying for top honours when the tournament tees off at the Eagleton Golf Resort here.
The launch of the TAKE Solutions India Masters will raise the 2014 ADT schedule to an unprecedented 21 tournaments, which includes 12 tournaments in Malaysia, three in Chinese Taipei, three in the Philippines and two in Indonesia.
The latest addition on the ADT will also provide another opportunity for players, especially from India, to bid for success and boost their rankings. With only three events remaining this season, players will have everything to play for as the top-five finishers on the Order of Merit will earn the coveted Asian Tour cards for 2015.
Chowrasia, who sits in 11th position on the Asian Tour Order of Merit following four top-five finishes on the premier Tour this season, is glad to throw his support behind the Solutions India Masters, which he deemed as a positive development for golf in India.
"It's very good for Indian golf as it creates a new playing opportunity. I'm happy to support this new tournament by playing in it. My confidence was down last season as I missed many cuts but I'm starting to play well and my confidence is getting better. I've worked on my putting too and it's showing some good results," said the 36-year-old Chowrasia.
Joshi, who claimed his first professional victory on home soil last week, is eager to step up his game at his first ADT event this week.
"Being the first ADT event in India, I have great expectations and I'm really looking forward to it. I believe that this is a step ahead for India as it gives Indian players a chance to play alongside other players from Asia which will in turn helping us learn new things and improve our game," said the 22-year-old Joshi.
