BENGALURU: Big-time golf will return to the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) course after nearly a decade when it hosts two back-to-back Challenge Tour events in March next year.
The KGA, considered one of the best courses in the country, hosted the Indian Open, a tri-sanctioned event then, in October 2012. In fact, India last hosted a Challenge Tour (a tier-two pro tour in Europe) event in 2013 in Ahmedabad.
"It's been around 10 years since any such tournament of this magnitude (Challenge Tour) has come to India. That was primarily one of the reasons why we thought of hosting it. Plus, this being our Golden Jubilee, it befits the occasion," KGA president Prithvi Raj Urs told TOI.
The Duncan Taylor Black Bull Challenge will be held from March 23-26 and The Challenge presented by KGA from March 28-31. Both are $300,000 events.
Explaining the reason behind hosting back-to-back events, Urs said Prestige Golfshire was supposed to host one. "Their (Golfshire) driving range and a couple of other facilities will not be available to them during that time, it's going to be renovated. So, we agreed to host both," said Urs.
The KGA official said that they were also keen to host the prestigious Indian Open after a gap of 11 years but were told that the main sponsors of the event were committed to continuing the National Open at the DLF.
Urs said they won't make any changes or modifications to the course — which actually requires approval from the general body — but the ninth and 18th holes would be interchanged. "The tournament director will decide on how the course is to be done," he said.
Both the events will be co-sanctioned by the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI). There was no clarity on the number of PGTI pros getting spots in them.
