The Hindu : Sport : PGTI season comes to an abrupt end

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Thursday, Jul 19, 2007
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Sport - Sports : General

PGTI season comes to an abrupt end

Principal Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) has ended its long-stretched domestic season abruptly as its efforts to hold a mega season-ending event failed. Though it was an uncharacteristic end to the tumultuous season that saw pros break away from the Professional Golfers’ Association of India (PGAI) to form PGTI and run the Tour on their own, several golfers expressed happiness that though there were less events, big money made it worth the toil.

Ashok Kumar, with five wins from eight starts and a prize money of Rs.44.178 lakh, topped the Order of Merit by a mile. Ashok showed he was the king of domestic golf.

Jyoti Randhawa, who spearheaded the revolt against the PGAI, played just three of the 10 events and still finished second on the Order of Merit.

Randhawa won all three tournaments he played in to collect a prize-money of Rs. 31.59 lakh. S.S.P. Chowrasia (Rs. 22.757 lakh), Digvijay Singh (Rs. 15.666 lakh) and Gaganjeet Bhullar (Rs. 15.371 lakh) finished in that order.

For the season-ending tournament, the PGTI was awaiting Zee Sports to put together an event in Northern India, but the time ran out fast.

Zee Sports, which organised the ColorPlus Open, was to hold the next event at the Royal Springs Golf Course in Srinagar, which now will be part of the coming season. The precursor to the next season began at the Golden Greens Golf and Country Club with the PGTI Q-school. The final stage of the Q-school will be held over four days from July 24 to 27.

Those who finished in the top-60 on the Order of Merit have got exemption for the next season. The rest will have to fight it out with amateurs and foreign golfers wanting to join the PGTI Tour.

The Q-school will be held in three stages. The first stage was completed on Wednesday with top 35 and ties, from the 96 who played over two days, making it to the final stage.

In the second stage starting on Friday, foreign golfers and amateurs wanting to turn pro, will try to get into the top 36 and qualify for the final stage comprising about 120 golfers.

Top 48 and ties after four days of stroke-play event, will earn the full card for the 2007-08 season.

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