Ashok, Mukesh, Digvijay to feature in SRF Professional golf

New Delhi, Mar 6 (UNI) An in-form Ashok Kumar will lead a 64-player field in the Rs. 20 Lakh SRF All-India Professional Matchplay Golf Championship at the Noida Golf Course during March 13-17.

Mukesh Kumar, Uttam Singh Mundy, Gurbaaz Mann, Vijay Kumar, Digvijay Singh, Vivek Bhandari, Gaganjeet Bhullar, AS Lehal, Amritinder Singh, C Muniyappa, Rahul Ganapathy, Chiragh Kumar, S Madaiah, Australia-based Kunal Bhasin, current All-India champion Himmat Singh Rai and defending champion Shamim Khan are other golfers who will vie for top honours in a knock-out format.

''I am looking forward to playing the SRF All-India Professional Matchplay as it encourages more aggressive play thus making it more exciting for the spectators as well as the player,'' said Ashok, who had already won two back-to-back victories in the 2006-07 PGTI Tour.

The organisers have increased the total prize money of the championship from Rs. 1.2 million to Rs. 2 million with the winner pocketing Rs.5,20,000 in a 36-hole final.

''The SRF All-India Professional Matchplay Championship is one of the oldest tournaments on the tour and with the increase in prize money, this unique format makes it even more competitive,'' said Digvijay Singh, who is currently ranked fifth in the PGTI Order of Merit.

The tournament will tee-off with the Pro-Am competition on March 11 and the matchplay competition will commence from March 11 with the final scheduled for March 17.

UNI