Madappa to spearhead India's challenge at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Golf Championship

Viraj Madappa

30th September, Hong Kong: The Indian Golf Union nominated Madappa, a top six amateur on the World Amateur Golf Rankings, for the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) that gets underway at the Clearwater Bay Country and Golf Club, Hong Kong tomorrow.

Madappa, who is from Kolkata, won the Taiwan Amateur Golf Championship earlier this year and also became the first Indian to play at the Porter Cup.

Having played the tournament twice in the past, Madappa is expected to mentor first timers Samarth Dwivedi, Karandeep Kocchhar, Priyanshu Singh and Veer Ahlawat. Patna’s Aman Raj, the current leader of IGU’s Men’s Order of Merit who finished as the second best Indian at last year's event is also expected to put up a tournament good finish.

The championship features more than 120 players from 37 countries including including Australian Ryan Ruffels, and his countryman Antonio Murdaca who is also a defending champion. Ruffels holds a world ranking of No. 8. Also in the field is 2012 AAC Champion Guan Tianlang of China.

IGU has been sending players to the Asia-Pacific Amateur since its inauguration in 2009 and the players have been selected as per their World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Arun Kumar Singh, Director General, IGU who is accompanying the team said, “The field is quite difficult but we have the right skills amongst the six players. All our boys will have to believe in themselves and should imagine their name on top of the leader board on the final day.”

Organised by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation in conjunction with the Masters Tournament and the R&A, the event provides a unique opportunity for players to win a ticket to the 2016 Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.

The winner and runner-up will also be eligible to compete in the Open qualifying series, Asia or Australasia for the 2016 Open Championship to be played at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland, with the winner also receiving an invitation to the 2016 Qatar Masters.

Continuing under its banner of ‘Creating Future Heroes’, the AAC will feature 120 players from the APGC’s member associations and will be played over 72-holes of stroke play, with a cut for the leading 60 players plus ties after 36 holes.

In the past, AAC has produced an illustrious list of winners, which includes two-time champion Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, who has finished in the top 20 in all four majors after turning professional in 2013.