Kolkata Challenge to start from March 21

Seasoned golfers Arjun Atwal and S.S.P. Chawrasia will be among the leading Indian golfers to be seen in action in the inaugural Kolkata Challenge at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) course here from Thursday as international golf returns to the city after a gap of 25 years.

All eyes will be on Atwal, a PGA Tour and three-time DP World Tour winner, and Chawrasia, a four-time DP World Tour winner, as they will play on their home course. In the last international event staged at the RCGC, the 1999 Indian Open, Atwal had emerged as the winner whereas Chawrasia was joint second.

Other top Indians including Gaganjeet Bhullar, Om Prakash Chouhan, Manu Gandas, Rashid Khan and Challenge Tour stars John Parry, Mikael Lindberg, Björn Åkesson, Martin Couvra and Lucas Bjerregaard will also feature in the event, as per an announcement at a press conference here on Tuesday.

The tournament, co-sanctioned by the European Challenge Tour and Tata Steel Professional Golf Tour of India, carries a prize purse of $300,000 and constitutes the second event in the two-week Indian leg (also including Delhi) of the Challenge Tour.