Tata Open to tee off New Year

Jan 01:  The country’s top professional golfers are all set for the year opener Tata Open-2008 after the PGTIseason has witnessed some scintillating golf thus far. The sixth edition of Tata Open golf tournament, celebrating Tata Steel's Centennial Year, will tee-off tomorrow in the Beldih and Golmuri courses of steel city Jamshedpur.

The current edition of this prestigious tournament holds utmost importance for quite a few golfing professionals of the country, as they will be staking their claim in the season’s PGTI Order of Merit race since the first three tournaments of the new season have produced three maiden winners.

The tournament will be inaugurated and declared open by the Managing Director of Tata Steel, B Muthuraman, on opening day with former India's wicket-keeper Sayeed Kirmani will also grace the occasion as the Guest of Honour.

The fourth tournament of the ongoing PGTI season will enter in an exciting phase and also throw a challenge to defending champion SSP Chowrasia, who had won the tournament on three previous occasions in 2003, 2005 and 2006, to shield as well as to complete his hat trick of title.

Chowrasia, who is currently placed 11th on PGTI’s Order of Merit, is too glad to be back in Jamshedpur to play on two of his favourite courses. “I just love playing at Beldih and Golmuri as I have had great success at these golf courses in the past,” said the outright favourite Chowrasia.

“The good thing about these two courses is that they do not favour long hitters, in fact both short as well as long hitters can perform well at these venues,” added Chowrasia.

The Kolkata pro has a good chance of galloping several places up on the Order of Merit if he manages to lift the Tata Open trophy for the third consecutive time.

The 2002 Tata Open champion Mukesh Kumar has also the experience to pull it off at Jamshedpur. The professional from Mhow also goes into the tournament in a confident frame of mind, having won in Digboi in November 2007.

Chowrasia would face the toughest challenge from the likes of Digvijay Singh, Shamim Khan Ashok Kumar, Rahul Ganapathy and Gaganjeet Bhullar. Digvijay is currently second on the Order of Merit and eager to win his first PGTI title. Shamim on the other hand is fourth on the Order of Merit but at the same time the only professional to register top-10s in all three tournaments this season.

Over 75 amateurs will be joining the professional for the Pro-Am. Leading lady golfers will also be seen in action in the Pro-Am. The tournament is a 72-hole stroke play championship and the cut will be applied after 36 holes. Thereafter, the top 50 players and ties will play over the weekend.

The Tata Open is being staged at two well-maintained golf courses, Beldih and Golmuri, which have the charming Dalma Hills in the background. The 70-year-old Beldih Golf Course is quite challenging, with long fairways, one of which is nearly 600 yards. It is a long and tough course, which tests both skill and endurance, while the Golmuri Golf Course, is shorter than Beldih but still challenging, scenic and engaging.

Two courses throwing up different kinds of challenges to the top Indian professionals is the ideal setting for an interesting week of golf. So the stage is set for the top Indian professionals to fight it out on the fairways and greens of Beldih and Golmuri.

It is now left to those who will show the 'nerves of steel' to emerge triumphant in the steel city of the country.