New Delhi, March 14 The Delhi Golf Club is all set for the second edition of The DGC Open with the defending champion Nitithorn Thippong back in the fray for a repeat performance.
The field, which is a blend of youth and promise playing alongside the experienced, has 138 players from around 35 countries and includes almost 50 Indians, many of whom have won on the Asian Tour as well as on home soil.
The prize purse goes up from USD 500,000 to USD 750,000 this year, a 50 per cent enhancement.
Shiv Kapur who is a product of the Delhi Golf Club, a relationship he proudly wears on his sleeve, said, “The DGC is home in more ways than one for me. My parents used to leave me here and I used to spend a lot of time playing here and having fun with friends. There’s a comfort factor in playing here over the years and while I’m now a ‘senior’ on the circuit, there is so much to learn from playing alongside the younger players as we have to constantly find ways to keep up with them. I congratulate Mastercard on associating with this unique, club-owned event on the Asian Tour and in fact taking it to another level.”
He added there are any number of Indians who can pull off a win any week and this could well be one such week.
KK Bajoria, President, Delhi Golf Club, said, “DGC extends a warm welcome to all the golfers who have come to participate in the second edition of The DGC Open. The feedback that we have received from the players is that the course is in excellent condition and can be compared favourably with the best in this region. We have an excellent field with 40 of the top 60 professionals from the Asian Tour playing this week so we can definitely expect a high standard of golf.”
He added, “I would like to thank Mastercard for supporting this event with the enhanced prize money.”
Defending champion Nitithorn, recalling his last year’s win, said, “I’m very excited to be back at Delhi Golf Club to defend my title. Last year the key was just to hit the ball in the fairway because the course is quite narrow. So for me, it’s like a two iron into the fairway, and then you get like a wedge or short iron to the green. So just hit it in the fairway.
“I can remember the last hole. I can remember almost every shot, but the highlight was the second shot on the first play-off hole, I hit a three wood onto the green. That was the best shot of my life”, he added.
Raj Khanna, Captain of the DGC said, “The DGC is proud of its Junior Training Programme and the focus is on talent promotion. Around 100 children, amateurs and others are provided special facilities by the club. Special emphasis is laid on promising youngsters and whose parents are not members of the DGC. Additionally underprivileged children of caddies and staff are also extended all the facilities.”
–IANS