Aryan Roopa Anand is looking to thrive on local support in this week’s Duncan Taylor Black Bull Challenge as the European Challenge Tour returns to India after a ten-year absence.
Earlier this year the DP World Tour and TATA Steel Professional Golf Tour of India announced a new partnership, and this week’s co-sanctioned event between the Challenge Tour and the TATA Steel PGTI is aimed at creating a pathway for the top players in India to reach the highest levels of the men’s professional game.
The 21-year-old, who was crowned India's Number One amateur in 2022, leads a strong home contingent at Karnataka Golf Association as he looks to continue his impressive start to the season, with two top ten finishes to his name already.
“My expectations are high coming into the week but I am just going to focus on the little things and prepare the best I can,” he said.
“I turned professional earlier this year after becoming the Number One amateur in the country. This did a lot for my confidence, and I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my career on the TATA Steel PGTI.
“I want to continue my good form and hopefully after these two weeks I will be able to get into some of the other events on the Challenge Tour and head over to Europe.”
Roopa Anand, who grew up in Bangalore, is looking to harness home comforts this week with Karnataka Golf Association being his local course.
“Golf in India is growing in popularity in recent years and Karnataka Golf Association is such a busy golf course throughout the year, he said. “I grew up playing at this golf course and everyone here has seen my journey through to the professional ranks. The support is going to be huge and I’m really looking forward to it.
“It’s great to have Indian players performing all over the world and now we have role models such as Shubhankar Sharma on the DP World Tour and Arjun Atwal, who became the first Indian winner on the PGA Tour.”
The Indian joins a star-studded field in Bangalore this week including seven-time DP World Tour winner Alvaro Quiros and Matteo Manassero, the youngest winner in DP World Tour history.
Amateurs James Ashfield, Arron Edwards-Hill and Robert Moran will make their Challenge Tour debuts this week after earning invitations through Sir Nick Faldo’s Elite Tour.
The first round of the Duncan Taylor Black Bull Challenge will get under way at 6:40am local time, with Roopa Anand teeing it up alongside Englishman Ashley Chesters and Scotsman Craig Howie at 8:10am.
