Leading professionals (from left) Stepan Danek of the Czech Republic, Indians Shaurya Bhattacharya and Tata Steel PGTI Ranking leader Veer Ahlawat and Dominic Piccirillo of the US pose with the Jaipur Open trophy at Rambagh GC on Tuesday. Image courtesy PGTI.
By Rahul Banerji
A good number from the top 10 of the season’s rankings list are in the fray for the Rs 1 crore Rajasthan Tourism presents Jaipur Open 2024 at the Rambagh Golf Club which tees off on Wednesday.
Tata Steel Professional Golf Tour of India order of merit leader Veer Ahlawat, his predecessor Om Prakash Chouhan, Asian Tour regular Rashid Khan and several winners of the ongoing season are amongst the 126-strong field, though Aman Raj will not be defending his 2023 title.
Young guns Shaurya Binu, Kshitij Naveed Kaul and Shaurya Bhattacharya who are all climbing the rankings list with solid performances this season will be joined in Jaipur by seasoned professionals Udayan Mane, Sachin Baisoya, Dhruv Sheoran and Abhinav Lohan amongst others.
Delhi golfer Kaul was impressive in his start to finish victory in Pune last week while Ahmedabad’s Varun Parikh came through a cliffhanger, four-hole playoff against the vastly experienced Rahil Gangjee in Panchkula last month and will carry good momentum into the Jaipur event.
Prominent overseas entries include Czech Republic’s Stepan Danek, Jamal Hossain, Badal Hossain, and Md Jakiruzzaman Jakir of Bangladeshi, besides Sri Lankans N. Thangaraja and K. Prabagaran.
Andorra’s Kevin Esteve Rigaill, Nepal’s Subash Tamang, Canada’s Sukhraj Singh Gill, Japan’s Makoto Iwasaki and Americans Dominic Piccirillo and Digraj Singh Gill are some of the others in the field.
Vishal Singh, Prakhar Asawa, Girraj Singh Khadka, Rishi Raj Singh Rathore, and Mahesh Yadav are the Jaipur-based professionals in the field. The field also features local amateurs Abhyudaya Rawat, Manoviraj Shekhawat, and Deep Karan Singh.
Good platform
“Rajasthan Tourism’s association with the PGTI’s Jaipur Open 2024 provides us the platform to showcase the state as an attractive destination for golf for international and domestic tourists alike,” said state tourism secretary Ravi Jain.
“We welcome all the participants to Rajasthan and invite them to explore the state’s rich heritage, unique experiences and hospitality. We look forward to yet another successful staging of the Jaipur Open and wish the players all the best.”
Added Rambagh Golf Club captain Yogendra Singh, “We are excited to host a strong field featuring India’s leading golfing talent at the PGTI’s Jaipur Open 2024.
“The quality of golf on display not only provides our members exposure to the highest level of the sport but also inspires our junior golfers to achieve greater success.
“We’ve worked hard to provide the best playing conditions at Rambagh Golf Club and we are confident the professionals will enjoy the experience of playing at our course and have a memorable week.”
A premier golf venue of Rajasthan, the Rambagh GC is a 6,303-yard par 70 layout that is strategically designed and laid out on sandy loam in the heart of Jaipur. Overlooking the course is the Rambagh Palace Hotel, besides the Moti Doongri and Nahargarh Forts.
Also read: Confident Kaul seals start to finish victory at Poona Club Open
Discover more from Tee Time Tales
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.