The European Challenge Tour returns to India for the first time since 2013 when the Duncan Taylor Black Bull Challenge takes place at Karnataka Golf Association. Here’s everything you need to know for the week ahead.
The Challenge Tour is back in India
India returns as a host country on the Road to Mallorca schedule for the first time in over ten years. The Challenge Tour’s last visit to India saw Shiv Kapur claim a maiden Challenge Tour title on home soil at the 2013 Gujarat Kensville Challenge. The Indian went on to win the Challenge Tour Grand Final in Dubai at the end of the season to finish third on the Rankings and subsequently secure DP World Tour playing privileges.
Local stars in the field
This week’s co-sanctioned event between the Challenge Tour and the TATA Steel Professional Golf Tour of India has been made possible by the partnership between the DP World Tour and the PGTI, which is aimed at developing golf in India and creating a pathway for the country’s top players to reach the highest levels of the men’s professional game.
A number of players from the PGTI will be teeing it up this week, including Yuvraj Singh Sandhu who won five titles last year to finish second on the PGTI Order of Merit behind Manu Gandas. Angad Cheema and Sandhu will be looking to build on impressive performances at the recent Hero Indian Open on the DP World Tour.
Karnataka Golf Association
Karnataka Golf Association was established in 1973 by a group of avid golfers who aspired to turn Bangalore into the golfing capital of India. The 18-hole Championship Course, initially designed by the famous Peter Thompson and in 2009 redesigned by Howard Swan, was opened to golfers on May 28, 1989 and has since seen golfers from all over the world take part in tournaments, promoting Bangalore as a golfing tourist destination in the South of India. The golf course has been fitted with a world class automated irrigation system to ensure water use is optimised and there is also a state-of-the-art gym on-site. In addition, the floodlit driving range and extensive club house facilities make Karnataka Golf Association one of the finest golf destinations in South India.
Enjoy a drink…
Duncan Taylor Black Bull whisky, one of the most innovative and dynamic companies in the whisky industry, is the title sponsor of the Duncan Taylor Black Bull Challenge. The Black Bull whisky has been decorated with many prestigious awards, including Gold Medals from the International Spirits Challenge and Best Scotch Blended Whisky Awards by World Whisky Award. Black Bull is unfettered by chill filtration, allowing the character of each carefully selected whisky to shine through to its full potential, resulting in a unique blend that is outstanding in its field. Six-time Major champion and Black Bull Brand Ambassador, Sir Nick Faldo, will lead the sponsor team in the tournaments Pro-Am.
