Golconda Masters Telangana Open begins tomorrow; prize purse Rs 40 lakh

Hyderabad: The Golconda Masters Telangana Open 2021 is all set for tee off at the Hyderabad Golf Club (HGC) from September 2 to 5 and will carry a prize purse of Rs 40 lakh, the Hyderabad Golf Association and the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) announced here on Tuesday. The Pro-Am event will be held on September 1.

The tournament supported by the Government of Telangana, since its inception in 2015, will witness the participation of 129 golfers including 123 professionals and six amateurs.

The event will feature Olympian and defending champion Udayan Mane (2018 and 2020 winner), PGTI Order of Merit leader Karandeep Kochar, Rashid Khan, Khalin Joshi, Viraj Madappa, Aman Raj and other leading players like former champions Chikkarangappa S (2019 winner) and Harendra Gupta (2015 winner).

The local challenge will be led by Hyderabad-based players including professionals like Haider Hussain, Mohd Azar, Venkat Gautham, Rupinder Singh Gill and Sanjay Kumar Singh, while the amateurs in fray are Hardik S hawda, Tarun Ajay, Rahul Ajay, Tej Gangavarapu, Sankeerth Nadadavolu and Milind Soni. The foreign challenge will be led by the Bangladeshi duo of Md Zamal Hossain Mollah and Badal Hossain.

The tourney is presented by Vooty and Haldi Golf County with Telangana Tourism as principal partner, Incredible India and Skoda as associate partners and Apollo Hospitals the medical partner.

KS Sreenivasu Raju, IAS, Secretary to Govt of Telangana, Youth Advancement, Tourism and Culture Department, said: "We are proud to be associated with the seventh edition of the Golconda Masters Telangana Open. The Tournament provides us a great opportunity to highlight the tourism potential of the State and the city of Hyderabad."

K Prithivi Reddi, CEO of Vooty & Haldi Golf County, C Dayakar Reddy, president HGA and Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI were present and graced the occasion with the unveiling of the trophy.