J&K Open golf returns for its third edition

• Tournament to begin from October 4 to be staged at Jammu Tawi Golf Cours
• Leading names in field include Om Prakash Chouhan, Aman Raj, Akshay Sharma 
• Prize Purse raised to Rs. 50 lakh

(L – R) Indian professional golfer Om Prakash Chouhan, Mr. Sachin Dev Singh, Additional Secretary, Tourism, Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, Mr. Manav Gupta, Secretary, Jammu Tawi Golf Course, Dr. Syed Abid Rashid Shah, Secretary, Tourism, J&K, Mr. Amarjeet Singh, Special Secretary to Government, J&K Tourism Department, Ms. Sunaina Sharma Mehta, Joint Director, Tourism, Jammu and Indian professional golfer Akshay Sharma, at the Press Conference on Tuesday.

Khel Today Bureau 

Jammu: The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), the official sanctioning body of professional golf in India, along with J&K Tourism, today jointly held a press conference in Jammu to kickstart the third edition of the J&K Open presented by J&K Tourism which will be staged at the pristine Jammu Tawi Golf Course in Jammu, from October 4 – 7, 2023. The total prize purse for the event has been enhanced to Rs. 50 lakh this year. The Pro-Am event will be held on October 8.

The tournament is supported by Presenting Partner J&K Tourism as well as Host Venue Jammu Tawi Golf Course.

Jammu and Kashmir is home to some of the top tourist destinations in the country. Jammu, bestowed with breathtaking scenic beauty amidst the proud mountain ranges exhibits all the qualities that make it a sought-after tourist destination. Among the most popular tourist attractions in the Jammu region are the Mata Vaishno Devi Temple, Amar Mahal Palace, Mubarak Mandi Palace and Patnitop, to name a few.

The tournament is part of J&K Tourism’s great initiative of promoting golf tourism in the region. J&K is blessed with some spectacular golf courses such as Jammu Tawi Golf Course, Royal Springs Golf Course (Srinagar), Pahalgam Golf Course (Lidder Valley) and Gulmarg Golf Club. These courses provide a heavenly experience to golfers.

The field of 114 players including 109 professionals and five amateurs will witness participation by top Indian professionals namely Om Prakash Chouhan, Aman Raj, Akshay Sharma, Sachin Baisoya, Harshjeet Singh Sethie, Gaurav Pratap Singh, Karan Pratap Singh and Kshitij Naveed Kaul, to name a few.

The foreign challenge will be led by Bangladesh’s Badal Hossain, Nepal’s Sukra Bahadur Rai and Canada’s Sukhraj Singh Gill, to name a few.

The local challenge will be led by J&K-based players including professionals Bhawani Singh Parmar, Pawan Parihar, Fayaz Ahmed Langoo, Raghav Wahi and Mir Ahmad as well as amateurs Prabhnoor Singh, Umar Yaqoob Mir, Vedant Handa, Arindam Sudan and Zorawar Singh.

Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said, “The third edition of the J&K Open presented by J&K Tourism is one of the most-awaited tournaments of the 2023 PGTI season with the professionals having fond memories of playing at the magnificent Jammu Tawi Golf Course for the first time last year. Tournaments such as these will go a long way in providing a boost to Golf Tourism in J&K. We thank J&K Tourism and the Jammu Tawi Golf Course for reiterating their support to PGTI with the enhanced prize purse this year. We’re excited about witnessing yet another enthralling week of golf amidst the mesmerizing surroundings of J&K.”

Mr. Om Prakash Chouhan, TATA Steel PGTI Rankings Leader, said, “I would really like to thank J&K Tourism for their continued support and especially for their support in conducting the latest edition of the J&K Open 2023. The course is playing beautifully and it is definitely one of the best courses in the country and the work done on the course is very evident. I have special memories of playing in J&K since I have won an event here way back in 2014 and I am looking forward to this week.”

Jammu Tawi Golf Course, is an 18-hole course, designed by internationally renowned designer Col. K.D Bagga. The course was commissioned on 24th April 2011. This picturesque Golf Course is located along the National Highway 1A connecting Jammu to Srinagar, in a valley along the river Tawi. The course has fairways approximately 6600 meters in length, it has two big and three small water bodies and a water channel about 3200 meters long.

The Government of Jammu & Kashmir undertook the construction of this prestigious project of Jammu Tawi Golf Course with the intention of giving a boost to Golf Tourism and grooming young boys and girls to become golf professionals.