HYDERABAD: The Golconda Fort has seen armies march and kingdoms rise and fall. From September 1, its historic backdrop will frame a different contest as golfers line up their clubs for the 12th edition of the Telangana Golconda Masters.
The four-day tournament, featuring some of India's leading professionals, will be held at the Hyderabad Golf Association (HGA) course from September 1 to 4. The event, carrying a prize purse of Rs 1 crore and Official World Golf Ranking points, was jointly announced on Saturday by state Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao and DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) president Kapil Dev at the HGA.
As many as 132 golfers will compete in the tournament, which is part of the Race to DP World India Championship. The event will determine the top 24 players on the DP World PGTI Order of Merit who will qualify for the season-ending DP World India Championship.
The field includes current Order of Merit leader Saptak Talwar, Honey Baisoya, Veer Ahlawat, Rashid Khan, Akshay Sharma and Om Prakash Chouhan. Defending champion Jamal Hossain of Bangladesh will return to defend his title. The international field also includes Bangladesh's Badal Hossain, Czech Republic's Stepan Danek, Sri Lanka's N Thangaraja and Mithun Perera, Nepal's Subash Tamang, Uganda's Joshua Seale and Japan's Koichiro Ishika and Taiga Tanaka.
Hyderabad-based professionals Mohd Azhar, Vishesh Sharma and Rupinder Singh Gill will lead the local challenge.
Krishna Rao said the tournament has become an important fixture on the Indian golfing calendar and provides Telangana an opportunity to showcase its tourism potential. He said the government wanted to take golf beyond Hyderabad and explore its potential to attract domestic and international visitors.
PGTI chief Dev said the tournament had established itself as one of the eagerly-awaited events on the PGTI calendar. He credited Telangana Tourism and HGA for its growth and said it could help position Hyderabad as a major golf tourism destination.
Dev said greater investment in golf infrastructure and prize money could encourage more youngsters to pursue the sport professionally. He said that expanding the number of golf courses in the state could also generate economic activity through tourism and related businesses.
The Hyderabad Golf Club, spread across 212 acres, has an 18-hole, par-70 course measuring 6,017 yards. Set against Golconda Fort and Naya Quila, it offers a distinctive setting for the championship. The club also has a floodlit driving range, practice facilities, a pro shop, golf fitting shop and clubhouse.
A special trophy depicting Golconda Fort will be presented to the winner.
Telangana eye two new courses
Telangana is planning two new world-class golf courses at Jawaharnagar near Shamirpet and Somasila along the Krishna river as it seeks to expand golf infrastructure and position the state as an international destination for golf tourism, Krishna Rao said.
Krishna Rao said a 130-acre golf course was proposed at Jawaharnagar, while another international-standard course was being planned at Somasila. The Somasila project, set against the Krishna river, Nallamala forests and Amrabad Tiger Reserve, is proposed to be developed with private participation under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The government plans to facilitate infrastructure and facilities of international standards, with the project combining golf, nature and tourism.
