Chittagong, March 5: The third edition of the City Bank American Express Chittagong Open golf tournament will be held at the pristine Bhatiary Golf & Country Club (BGCC) in Chittagong from March 6 - 9 and will carry a prize purse of BDT 47.40 lacs (INR 40.00).

The tournament is co-sanctioned by the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and the Bangladesh Professional Golfers Association (BPGA) and approved by Bangladesh Golf Federation (BGF).

This is a 72-hole stroke-play tournament featuring a field of 126 players including 56 professionals and from the BPGA and 70 professionals from the PGTI. Apart from that, there will also be six amateurs from BGCC. The cut will be applied after the first 36 holes. The top 50 players and ties will make the halfway cut and continue to play for another 36 holes.

This tournament, PGTI's first in Bangladesh this year, is set to feature some of the top names of the South Asian region. The Bangladeshi players of Md Zamal Hossain Mollah (two-time winner on the PGTI) and Md Shakhawat Hossain Sohel will lead the charge for the host nation. Defending champion N. Thangaraja along with PGTI regulars Udayan Mane, M Dharma and Aman Raj will also be in action this week.

City Bank American Express® #ChittagongOpen2019 to begin on 6th March https://t.co/rfVG6MgLPV pic.twitter.com/VtPZZm8iau

— PGTI (@PGTITOUR) February 28, 2019

Uttam Mundy, CEO, PGTI, said, "We thank the BPGA and City Bank American Express for partnering with us in staging the third edition of the City Bank American Express Chittagong Open. The tournament seeks to build on the existing golfing ties between India and Bangladesh and is a result of the joint vision of the PGTI and the BPGA to further raise the standard of professional golf in the South Asian region.

"The Chittagong Open will be PGTI's second event in Bangladesh this season which is a reflection of the country's emergence as a golfing hub. PGTI members look forward to returning to the immaculate Bhatiary Golf & Country Club for the second year running."

Meanwhile, professional golfer Aadil Bedi said, "This is my first tournament of the year. Really enjoying Bangladesh. This is my first time and I'm looking forward to playing a great game. I really like the golf course it is in beautiful shape. The greens are in international standards and you will need a low score to win the match as conditions are ideal."

Source: PGTI