Top golfers fight for title at fourth edition of J&K Open

The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), the official sanctioning body of professional golf in India, along with J&K Tourism, is staging the fourth edition of the J&K Open presented by J&K Tourism, which is being held at the pristine Jammu Tawi Golf Course in Jammu, from Wednesday to Saturday.

The total prize purse for the event is Rs 50 lakh. The Pro-Am event will be held on October 27. The tournament is supported by presenting partner J&K Tourism as well as the host venue—Jammu Tawi Golf Course.

The tournament is part of J&K Tourism’s initiative of promoting golf tourism in the region. J&K is blessed with some spectacular golf courses such as Jammu Tawi Golf Course, Royal Springs Golf Course (Srinagar), Pahalgam Golf Course (Lidder Valley) and Gulmarg Golf Club. These courses provide a heavenly experience to golfers.

The top Indian professionals participating in the event include Shaurya Binu, Varun Parikh, Olympian Udayan Mane, Sachin Baisoya, Shankar Das, M Dharma and Abhinav Lohan to name a few.

The foreign challenge will be led by Czech Republic’s Stepan Danek, Americans Dominic Piccirillo and Digraj Singh Gill, Canadian Sukhraj Singh Gill, Sri Lankans N Thangaraja and K Prabagaran, Bangladeshis Jamal Hossain, Badal Hossain, Md Akbar Hossain and Md Jakiruzzaman Jakir and Nepal’s Subash Tamang.

Yasha Mudgal, IAS, Commissioner Secretary, J&K Tourism, said, “J&K Tourism warmly welcomes participants, sponsors and media to the 4th PGTI J&K Open 2024 in Jammu, a celebration of golf, tourism and camaraderie.”

Vivekanand Rai, IRS, Director, Tourism, Jammu, stated, “The fourth edition of J&K Open adds a new dimension to our tourism offerings. Golf provides a platform to showcase Jammu’s natural beauty, cultural diversity and hospitality.”

Manav Gupta, Secretary, of Jammu Tawi Golf Course, said, “The Jammu Tawi Golf Course has consistently demonstrated its commitment to promoting golf in India and providing an exceptional experience for players and spectators alike. Hosting the PGTI tournament for the third year in a row is a testament to the golf course’s excellence and its pivotal role in elevating the standards of golf in India. I look forward to welcoming golf enthusiasts, media representatives and sponsors to witness this tournament.”

Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, of PGTI, said, “This year’s J&K Open is, as always, one of the most-awaited tournaments of the season, with the professionals relishing the memories of playing at the pristine Jammu Tawi Golf Course in previous years. The tournament goes a long way in promoting golf tourism in J&K. We thank J&K Tourism and the Jammu Tawi Golf Course for their continued support to the PGTI. We’re excited about witnessing yet another exciting week of golf amidst the serene setting of J&K.”