Chandigarh, Oct 11 (Representative) Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) will be staging the fifth edition of the Jeev Milkha Singh Invitational here at the renowned Chandigarh Golf Club from October 13 -16. The main event will be preceded by the Pro-Am event on October 12. The tournament being staged at Jeev’s home course, the Chandigarh Golf Club, for the fifth year in succession and offers a handsome prize purse of 1.5 crore. The field will feature 132 participants including 129 professionals and three amateurs. The glittering field for the tournament will feature event host Jeev Milkha Singh along with country’s international stars such as defending champion Shiv Kapur, Gaganjeet Bhullar, SSP Chawrasia, Jyoti Randhawa, Rahil Gangjee, PGTI Order of Merit leader Ajeetesh Sandhu (2019 winner), Rashid Khan, Udayan Mane and Yuvraj Singh Sandhu, to name a few. The presence of other former champions Karandeep Kochhar (2020) and Chikkarangappa (2018), also adds to the strength of the field. The foreign challenge will be led by Sri Lankans Mithun Perera, N Thangaraja, Anura Rohana and K Prabagaran, as well as Bangladeshis Jamal Hossain, Badal Hossain, Md Akbar Hossain and Nepal’s Sukra Bahadur Rai.
The other prominent names from Chandigarh besides Jeev Milkha Singh, Ajeetesh Sandhu, Yuvraj Singh Sandhu and Karandeep Kochhar, are Akshay Sharma, Aadil Bedi, Abhijit Singh Chadha, Angad Cheema, Harendra Gupta, Harmeet Kahlon, Amandeep Johl, Gurbaaz Mann, Ranjit Singh and Amritinder Singh. Jeev Milkha Singh is the first Indian professional golfer to have a PGTI event named after him. He conquered uncharted territory over two decades back when he became one of the first Indian golfers to taste success at the international level. Since then he has added many more firsts and Indian records to his name. Jeev has the rare distinction of being the only Indian to have won the Asian Tour Order of Merit twice (in 2006 & 2008). He has won multiple titles on the European Tour, Japan Golf Tour and Asian Tour and has 14 Major appearances to his name. Jeev has also achieved a career-high world ranking of 28, an Indian record. “I’m excited about hosting the fifth edition of the Jeev Milkha Singh Invitational presented by TAKE. It’s a matter of great pride for me that the tournament has set new benchmarks on the PGTI in recent years in terms of the depth of the field, the handsome prize purse on offer, the fierce competition on display and the excellent playing conditions provided by the host venue Chandigarh Golf Club,” Jeev said.
“All previous editions of the event have been a visual treat for golf fans with playoffs deciding the winner each time. I look forward to another thrilling finish this year. “I would like to thank Mr. Srinivasan HR and TAKE for being the driving force behind the event and the PGTI, all our players and the Chandigarh Golf Club for their invaluable contribution in making the event a huge success.” Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said, “The fifth edition of the Jeev Milkha Singh Invitational presented by TAKE has all the makings of a grand contest with a star-studded line-up competing for the top prize. The tournament has delighted golf fans each year with nail-biting playoff finishes. With a lot of depth in the field this year, we look forward to yet another down-to-the-wire finish. “The event celebrates Jeev Milkha Singh’s outstanding achievements on the international stage and his huge contribution to Indian golf which continue to inspire young Indian golfers. We thank TAKE for their continued support to the event. We also thank the Chandigarh Golf Club, Jeev’s home course, for hosting the event for the fifth year in succession.”