New Delhi, Aug 27 (PTI) Indian golfing greats Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa will be among 64 international players vying for top honours in the inaugural HSBC India Legends Championships to be played at Jaypee Greens course at Greater Noida from August 30 to September 1.
The first Legends Tour tournament in the country, which will have USD 0.5 million as prize purse, will also see 2005 US Open champion Michael Campbell of New Zealand in action.
The winner of the HSBC India Legends Championship is set to take home USD 74,250, while the runner-up will receive USD 49,000. The third-place finisher will pocket USD 32,700.
The event will be played over 54 holes and it will be preceded by a star-studded Pro-Am event on August 28 and 29, which will see top golfers play alongside amateurs.
The Legends Tour is a professional golf tour for male golfers aged 50 and over, run by the PGA European Tour. It began as European Senior Tour in 1992 and was rechristened as Legends Tour in 2020.
Jeev is the host of the tournament, co-sanctioned by the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI). The event will see a participation from 17 countries.
Randhawa qualified after winning the Legends Tour’s tough and challenging Qualifying School finals in Turkey.
“Since I am the host, I will ensure that I don’t win the tournament this weekend,” the 52-year-old Jeev joked at the press conference to launch the tournament.
“It’s great for the country’s golfers and for world golf in general. Golfing career is over when you are 40 or 45. But with the Legends Tour, you can have a second innings after reaching 50 years.
“Now, you can play golf as a career till 60.” Randhawa, also 52, said not only the money, a golfer can also maintain the competitive spirit by continuing to play in the Legends Tour.
“It’s good for the budding Indian golfers and amateurs. They will now know that a golfer can play another 10 years after retirement,” he said.
“By playing in the Legends Tour, you are keeping your golfing passion and competitive spirit intact as well as keeping yourself fit.” Jeev (twice Asia No. 1 in 2006 and 2008) and Randhawa (once Asia No. 1 in 2002) are well-known names around the world with numerous appearances in Majors too.
Jeev has won four times each on the European and Japan Tours, one on the Korean Tour besides six times on the Asian Tour. Randhawa has won eight times on the Asian Tour and once in Japan.
Jeev, who has played all four Majors, was the first Indian to tee up at the Masters at the Augusta National in 2007. He was a former captain of Asia in EurAsia Cup (Europe vs Asia team event). He has five top 10 finishes on the Legends Tour since 2022.
Besides Jeev and Randhawa, there are other seven Indians in the fray. They are Mukesh Kumar, Digvijay Singh, Harmeet Kahlon, Vijay Kumar, all past winners on the Asian Tour, Amandeep Johl, Vishal Singh and Sanjay Kumar.
The 55-year-old Campbell, who has also won 15 other tournaments around the world, said, “I started playing golf when I was 10. My grandmother told me that time when I achieve success, I should remember I have two hands, one for receiving and another for giving back,” he said.
“Legends Tour is great in that way. You keep playing after retirement and inspire youngsters to take up the game. We have to give back to the game.” Other top international stars in the tournament include Adilson da Silva, a Brazilian who made South Africa his home, a six-time winner on Legends Tour with 19 professional wins overall.
South African James Kingston (21 wins including two on European Tour, three on Legends Tour and 10 on Sunshine Tour), Sweden’s first-ever Ryder Cup player, Joakim Haeggman (10 wins including three on European Tour and one on Legends Tour) and another former Swedish Ryder Cup star, Jarmo Sandelin (11 wins including five on European Tour and two on Legends Tour) are the other big names.
The Legends Tour so has far travelled to 10 events, including three Majors. The HSBC India Legends is the 11th tournament of the season, which continues with seven more events and the Grand Finale at MCB Tour Championships in Mauritius.
The Jaypee Greens Golf Course in Greater Noida, which is hosting the tournament, is designed by the legendary Greg Norman.
Source: PTI News
