Harpal Singh Bedi / New Delhi
Defending champion Shiv Kapur will spearhead the elite field alongside compatriots Chiragh Kumar, Viraj Madappa, Rashid Khan, two-time Asian Tour winners Jazz Janewattananond, Panuphol Pittayarat of Thailand and other golfers from ten countries in the eighth edition of the Panasonic Open India to be played at Delhi Golf Club from October 25 to 28.
Australian Wade Ormsby is the only foreigner to have won the title since tournament’s inception in 2011.The other winners include Anirban Lahiri, Digvijay Singh, S.S.P. Chawrasia, Chiragh Kumar, Mukesh Kumar and Shiv Kapur.
Kapur topped the inaugural Panasonic Swing ranking with total points of 2922.90 last year, thanks largely to his victory at the Panasonic Open India, which was his first Asian Tour victory on home soil and second win in 2017. He then went on to win his fourth Asian Tour title at the Royal Cup in Thailand one month later and become the first and only player to win three times on the region’s premier Tour that season.
Talking to media persons in New Delhi on Tuesday Shiv Kapur recalled his title victory “ It was a pretty amazing win last year. I replayed the videos of my victory again and it got me some goosebumps.To be able to win last year was a dream come true. It was also a dream season for me, to have won three times last year.
He admitted that this season ”hasn’t been as good as I like it to be, to be honest. You come off a great season where you have won three times and it’s never easy to back that up with more wins. I think I didn’t plan my schedule well enough. It was a bit of a burnt out then.
“ I feel like my game is picking up again. I am excited to finish my season well, starting from this week. I am in a decent position on the Merit rankings so a good push for a win will help me end the season strong.
“The fairways are the bets that I have ever seen. The rough is fantastic. It’s going to be a great test from tee to green.
Title contender Viraj Madappa, who became the youngest Indian winner on the Asian Tour following his breakthrough in August was upbeat saying “ It’s definitely nice to know that I have the potential to win on the Asian Tour. I wasn’t feeling confident when I turned professional at the beginning of the season. After winning my first title in August, I feel more confident to play against the top guys out there.
“I am playing well now so I hope to finish the season off strong and look forward to this week. I think I’m quite comfortable playing on Tour now. I feel like my game’s good now and I might be the man to be this week!
Promising youngster Kshitij Naveed Kaul said he was “very excited to play my first event as a professional on my home course this week. It’s very nice and I feel good because I am playing well now. I have played a few times with Shiv Kapur and it’s nice.”
“This is my home club so I hope I can take advantage of my course knowledge this week. I hope to do the same like what I have been doing before although I am playing in my first event as a professional this week.