Event
The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), ‘the official sanctioning body of professional golf in India’, is all set to hold the fourth edition of the PGTI Cochin Masters presented by CIAL Golf Club. The sixth tournament of the season carries a prize purse of Rs. 40 lakh and will be staged from April 12 – 15, 2017, at the CIAL Golf Club in Kochi. The Pro-Am event will be played on April 16, 2017.
This is a 72-hole stroke-play tournament featuring a field of 126 professionals. The cut will be applied after the first 36 holes. The top 50 players and ties will make the halfway cut and continue to play for another 36 holes.
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The tournament field will feature some of the top Indian professionals such as former champions Mukesh Kumar and Feroz Ali Mollah, Shamim Khan, Rahil Gangjee, Himmat Singh Rai, Ajeetesh Sandhu, Khalin Joshi and Honey Baisoya, to name a few.
The field will also feature foreign professionals such as N Thangaraja (Sri Lanka), Anura Rohana (Sri Lanka), K Prabagaran (Sri Lanka), Kunal Bhasin (Australia) and Arthur Horne (Swaziland).
The three local professionals in the field are Madesh K, M Anand and Vivek V S.
Course
Cochin International Airport (CIAL) has been showcased as an example where Public Private Partnership has worked wonders. The company has grown from strength to strength since its inception. With the phenomenal success it met with its first initiative - Cochin Airport, it has looked beyond and drawn out elaborate plans for further development of the adjoining land. The master plan envisages the establishment of everything from Aircraft maintenance to Convention centre.
CGCC is a challenging all weather championship course that caters to all skill levels of golfers and the design philosophy of the course is based on Risk and Reward. When completed, the course will play to a length of over 7430 yards. The second phase included a Driving Range and a Golf Academy. IGU certified coache is available for beginners and other skill levels.
A mere 30 minute drive from the heart of Cochin and with proximity to the emerging city centre of Kakkanad, the Golf Course is set to change the way people spend their leisure hours and at the same time engage in all types of sports, business networking and social interaction. With the proximity to the airport and the emergence of Golf Tourism, the Golf Course will be an International tourist destination attracting golfers from all around the globe.
Five large lakes covering sixty seven thousand square meters adorn the landscape providing exciting challenges to golfers and a treat to the environmentalists. The water bodies filled in by storm water during the monsoon not only supports the elaborate irrigation system but also acts as a source to recharge and maintain the water table in adjoining areas benefitting the surrounding communities. The vast body of water has also thrown up options for aqua culture and water sports.
The horticulture plan of the course has emphasized on the use of plants and species endemic to the region but forgotten by the younger generations.The course has many unique features. The first 18 Hole course in Kerala, centrally located to all the major nodal points in the fast spreading future metropolis, air, road and rail connectivity including the proposed metro rail.
It is the first course in the country to offer an Island green named General's creek on the 18th Hole for a very exciting and challenging round of golf. CGCC is an eco-friendly all weather golf course that is comparable to the best with Bermuda TifDwarf on the greens and Bermuda 419 on the tees and fairways
Past Champions
2016 – Feroz Ali Mollah
2015 – Mukesh Kumar
2014 – Shubhankar Sharma
Sponsors
Mr. A M Shabeer, Executive Director, CIAL, said, “We are excited to host the fourth edition of PGTI-Cochin Masters series here at CIAL golf club (CGC). This is the first time that the tournament happens at peak summer season. Well designed water bodies and over 5000 trees offer formidable challenge for the players. Besides the lush green fairways already the course boasts, we have planted 5,000 saplings last year which are grown now. The player line-up is also thrilling and I hope a severe competition ahead.”
Mr. Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said, “We’re delighted to be back in Kochi for the fourth edition of the PGTI Cochin Masters presented by CIAL Golf Club. The tournament has emerged as one of the biggest professional events in the southern region of the country over the last four years. The strong field and immaculate course conditions this year promise a fascinating week of golf. We wish the players all the best.”
