India to Host First Asian Development Tour Golf Event

India will host its first ever Asian Development Tour (ADT) tournament with the launch of the TAKE Solutions India Masters from October 29 to November 1, order 2014, officials announced today.

TAKE Solutions, the Asian Tour and PGTI have come together to unveil the TAKE Solutions India Masters where this joint initiative tournament will receive Official World Golf Ranking status, with the winner earning six world ranking points.

The newest addition to the ADT, which is the gateway to the premier Asian Tour, will raise this season’s ADT Schedule to an unprecedented 21 tournaments. The inaugural US$70,000 tournament will be staged at Eagleton Golf Resort in Bengaluru.

Srinivasan HR, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, TAKE Solutions said: “We are delighted and honoured to partner with the Asian Tour and PGTI to launch India’s very first Asian Development Tour tournament. Through this association, it is our vision for the TAKE Solutions India Masters to provide the impetus for aspiring professional golfers from India to succeed on the ADT, and subsequently on the Asian Tour.

“For almost a decade, we have been the proud sponsor of the official Indian qualifying tournament to the World Corporate Golf Challenge, acting as the gateway for highly competitive and skilled Indian corporate golfing teams to the international arena.

“We also sponsor professional golfers S.S.P. Chowrasia and Khalin Joshi to support their growth and success in Indian and international tournaments. The launch of TAKE Solutions India Masters fits aptly with our corporate mission to support the growth and development of professional golf in India and across Asia. I am very confident that our partnership with the Asian Tour and PGTI will benefit the sport in India.”

Asian Tour CEO, Mike Kerr, believes that welcoming India as the newest destination on the burgeoning ADT Schedule augurs well for the game in the sub-continent.

“On behalf of our players, I would like to welcome on board TAKE Solutions India Masters on the ADT. Through our close collaboration with PGTI and the support from great sponsors such as TAKE Solutions, professional golf in India has achieved so much success in Asia with the like of Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa ranking number one over the past decade on the Asian Tour.

“Currently, we are witnessing the exciting emergence of a new breed of young Indian stars in the form of Anirban Lahiri, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Rashid Khan and I am confident the launch of the TAKE Solutions India Masters will  further invigorate the development of golf in India,” said Kerr.