Top Indian players get ready for mega event

By Our Sports Reporter

GURGAON, MARCH 13. Cradled in the Aravali foothills, the Classic Golf Resort, without doubt, is an ideal venue for an event of the magnitude of the Wills Indian Open. The charming course, the only one to be designed by Jack Nicklaus in South Asia, is par excellence when it comes to its aesthetic beauty.

The idea of holding the coveted Asian PGA event, worth $3,00,000 on such a course is surely is praiseworthy but in terms of the intricacies posed to the professionals, it still has a long way to go.

As the par-72 7114-yard course gears up for its second Wills Indian Open from Thursday, it may not come as a surprise if the winning aggregate is lower than 15-under, the tally managed by Jyoti Randhawa in winning the title last year.

As the top Indian pros, Randhawa and Arjun Atwal, along with Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand and American Mike Cunning, among others, tuned up for the mega event, opinion about the course did not differ much.

According to Cunning, the 1997 APGA Order of Merit winner, ``The whole course looks good but mostly it is same as last year. Greens are better than before, so it should provide an interesting battle ahead.''

Cunning's reference to the greens, which have a speed of 11 on the stimp meter, have been increased from the range of 8 to 8.5 last year.

The other changes include growth of the roughs but that is not considered much of a threat. ``Roughs are hardly going to make a difference. Even the speed of greens would not make much of an impact. In fact, I expect the final score to be lower than by a stroke or two,'' said the 1998 winner Firoz Ali on Tuesday.

As in a signature course, the strategic placements of the bunkers and water hazards depend on the plantations to make the challenges tougher. But the plantations still have not grown to that extent and accordingly, the driving would be comparatively easier to shot making and putting.

According to the CGR Director of Golf, John D. Volz, who has been associated with the resort since its inception in 1997, the skills may be tested if the winds pick up. ``Last year, the wind was not there at all. If it does not come into play (this time as well), then driving will not be much of problem. Overall, the personality of the course is lofted strokes, which ought to have back spin as greens are firm.''

Volz mentioned that on the last occasion the par-5s did not have too many eagles but the trend of birdies was expected to continue. ``If the ball is really whacked hard and precisely, it will not be tough to save strokes on par-5s. But the rest are not that easy especially par-4 eighth, par-3 11th and par-4 16th, '' said Volz.

To make the tournament more interesting, the idea of shifting the tee on some holes was also being contemplated. ``We may make adjustments on some holes such as the par-5 final hole. If there is a lure to place ball close to the pin, the bunkers on the either side will also come into play,'' said Volz.

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