Leading stars for Servo Masters

By Our Special Correspondent

CALCUTTA, NOV. 25. The breathtakingly beautiful Digboi Club golf course in upper Assam will play host to second Servo Masters tournament from December 5 to 9. The cream of Indian professional golfers, including nine of the top ten on the Wills Sport Indian Golf Tour, will be seen in action in one of the most challenging courses in the country.

With an increase in the prize money to the tune of Rs. 1 lakh, the tournament offers Rs. 8.5 lakh in total prize fund with the winner standing to gain Rs. 1,37,700.

The links, one of the prettiest in the country, is an 18-hole, 6,309-yard, par-72 course and boasts a number of interesting holes, including the par-3 16th where a golfer is required to hit over a valley with both the tee and green flanked by impassable woods on one side. The course lies between the `Deihing Forest Reserve' and the National Highway No. 38.

The successful hosting of this meet last year dispelled all doubts regarding security concern and this year's edition has attracted 76 professional golfers as compared to 48 last year.

Defending champion Rohtas Singh, with over 100 victories in a 25- year career will head the field this year, with strong challenge coming from current leader in the season's Order of Merit, Shiv Prakash. The latter has already won two events this season.

Others in the fray are Vijay Kumar (leading prize money winner for the past three seasons running), Mukesh Kumar (Player of the Year award winner for 1999-2000), Feroze Ali (Indian Open winner in 1998), Ali Sher (Two-time Indian Open champion), S.S.P. Chowrasia (joint runner-up at the 1999 Indian Open), Rahul Ganapathy (all-India amateurs 2000 champion), Rafiq Ali (Ford-MGC Open winner) and a number of other established golfers like Basad Ali, Amit Dube, Digvijay Singh, Zai Kipgen and Tarun Sardesai.

The Digboi Club Links plays host to about 20 major tournaments throughout the year. A number of golfers like current Asian PGA Tour No. 2, Jyoti Randhawa, Gaurav Ghei and Harmeet Kahlon, ladies National champion Vandana Agarwal and Arjuna Awardee Sita Rawlley have played on this course.

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Section  : Sport
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