By Rahul Banerji
The eighth edition of the Telangana Masters tees off at the Hyderabad Golf Club on Wednesday offering a prize purse of Rs 40 lakh to the 121 professionals in the field.
The event, presented by IRA and powered by Telangana Tourism will be preceded by Tuesday’s pro-am.
In all, the Professional Golf Tour of India event has drawn 126 entries including four amateurs. This is a step that could be regularised by the PGTI to give the amateur ranks exposure and experience on an ongoing basis.
Top professionals in the fray include Udayan Mane (2018 and 2020 winner), defending champion Manu Gandas, Yuvraj Singh Sandhu, Varun Parikh, Shamim Khan and Kshitij Naveed Kaul, to name a few.
The overseas challenge will be led by Sri Lankans Mithun Perera, N. Thangaraja, Anura Rohana and K. Prabagaran as well as Nepal’s Sukra Bahadur Rai.
Local talent
The local component includes Hyderabad-based professionals Haider Hussain, Mohd Azhar and Hardik S. Chawda as well as amateurs Tej Gangavarapu, Milind Soni, Sankeerth Nidadavolu and Vilok Gadwal.
State sports and youth services minister V. Srinivas Goud, said “We are proud to be associated with the eighth edition of the Telangana Masters.
“Telangana Tourism’s continued association with this event which carries Official World Golf Ranking points, is featured on the international golf calendar and will see participation from the best golfers in the country.
“It will also help bring the spotlight on the immense potential for tourism in the state with the Hyderabad Golf Club, set against the backdrop of the historic and world-famous Golconda Fort.”
Brand push
Added IRA Realty Tech founder and managing director Narsi Reddy, “Events like this will help to build the brand value of Telangana which is exactly why IRA Realty would like to be part of it.”
“We have recently been awarded the Best Tourism Friendly Golf Course in India for the third time,” host association Hyderabad Golf Association president Jayant Tagore, said.
“We are planning to have more professional events in the years to come to promote Telangana as a great golfing and tourist destination.”
The 212-acre HGC provides an 18-hole, 6,200 yard, par-71 layout that also features a floodlit driving range, a pro shop, a golf fitting shop, and training and practice facilities.
The long-term aim is to set up an international standard golf course, a golf training academy and to put Hyderabad on the international golfing map, he added.
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