Bengaluru, Feb10: Shubhankar Sharma returns to the domestic circuit for the TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship 2020 Presented by Eagleton – The Golf Resort this week. The event carrying a purse of Rs. 30 lakhs will be held at the Eagleton – The Golf Resort, close to Bengaluru, from February 11 – 14.
The last time the PGTI Players Championship was held at the Eagleton, it was Sharma who won it and it was back in 2016.
Apart from Sharma, ranked 264 in the world, the field also sees the in-form Udayan Mane, who with his win last week in Hyderabad jumped from 417 to a career-best 303 in world rankings.
Other names in the field are Asian Tour regulars Chikkarangappa, Khalin Joshi, Viraj Madappa and Aman Raj.
Shubhankar said, “I’m extremely happy to be back home and playing alongside some of my friends. I’m excited about returning to one of my favourite courses Eagleton. I have good memories of my win at this venue back in 2016 when I shot a 24-under total.
“I had three weeks off so I thought competing this week would give me good practice for the European Tour events ahead. I’ve recently been working on a lot of things with my coach and playing a tournament is the best way to put those changes into practice and test yourself. There’s also no better place to find my form than my home tour.
“It was an up and down season for me last year in Europe but I managed to find some form towards the end with a couple of top-10s. The experience gained over the last one year has been invaluable and has made me a better player.
“The world ranking points on offer on the PGTI was an added incentive for me to play this event. As the race for spots at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics enters its final stretch, every world ranking point counts. So, a good finish here would really help in boosting my Olympic hopes.”
Former Indian hockey captain Dilip Tirkey will be playing his second event as a professional at Eagleton this week. Tirkey, a three-time Olympian and 1998 Asian Games gold medalist, had last month played the PGTI Qualifying School 2020 in Ahmedabad.
The PGTI returns to Eagleton – The Golf Resort after a gap of four years. Eagleton – The Golf Resort, situated on the Bangalore-Mysore highway, is home to a USPGA standard course. This picturesque course is spread out over 170 acres and has undulating fairways and huge greens with an excellent drainage system. Over 40,000 trees, lush turf and sophisticated fertilization, irrigation and waste water management contribute to a natural and pleasing biosphere.
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Udayan Mane rises by more than 100 places; Rashid stays top Indian
Mane continues winning run; opens 2020 with win at Golconda Masters; Madappa, Aman Raj 2nd
