MUMBAI, January 15: Defending champion Gaurav Ghei will will lead the pack of top 64 golf professionals at the Crompton Greaves All-India match-play which begins from January 21st at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club.The 22-lakh prize money event is the third of the four major tournaments of the Professional Golfers Association of India (PGAI). The winner takes a purse of Rs 5,00,000, the highest in any PGAI event.
The five day event is the only match-play tournament played in India wherein two players will be pitted against each other over 18 holes.
However, it won't be easy for Ghei to come up with an encore. The lone Indian to qualify for the 1997 British Open, Ghei, can expect a tough challenge from Arjun Atwal. The Calcutta-based Atwal will be the cynosure of all eyes after a fine performance at the recently concluded Omega APGA tour.
Winner of the Honda-Siel Open, Vivek Bhandari, Mahindra Invitational champion Feroz Ali, Lucknow's Vijay Kumar and two times Indian Open champion Ali Sher are also
expected to provide a keen contest.
DIGVIJAY LEADS: A brilliant round of two-under 68 saw Digvijay Singh of Meerut storm into the lead, on the opening day of the Classic Stripes Western India Amateur Golf Championship at the BPGC course today.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
