‘Three Major champions playing in India Championship is very big thing’: PGTI CEO Amandeep Johl
New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) India is set to witness a rare gathering of golf’s biggest names as three reigning Major champions, Rory McIlroy, Ryan Fox and Aaron Rai, prepare to compete together for the first time in the country at the India Championship, scheduled to be held at the Delhi Golf Club from October 15 to 18.
The second edition of the tournament will feature eight players from the world’s top 20, adding significant global star power to an event that is emerging as one of the major attractions on India’s golfing calendar.
Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) CEO and Delhi Golf Club captain Amandeep Johl said the presence of three reigning major champions in the same field was a landmark moment for Indian golf.
“For the first time in India, three reigning major championship winners will play together in one golf tournament. Rory McIlroy, Ryan Fox and Aaron Rai, who are three Major champions, will be here. This is a very big thing for Indian golf,” Johl told IANS.
McIlroy, the Career Grand Slam winner, will be joined by 2026 Open Championship winner Ryan Fox and Rai, who claimed his maiden Major title at the PGA Championship earlier this year.
Rai, who has Indian and Kenyan heritage, had earlier expressed his excitement about making his India Championship debut.
“I’m excited to travel to Delhi for the India Championship this year. I’ve heard a lot about the event, and with connections to India throughout my family, there is a lot to look forward to across the week,” Rai had said.
The star-studded field will also include defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Bubba Watson and Patrick Reed, along with European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, Viktor Hovland and Min Woo Lee.
Indian golfers Shubhankar Sharma and Anirban Lahiri will lead the home challenge, with around 27 Indian players expected to feature in the tournament.
Johl also highlighted the uniqueness of the Delhi Golf Club course, which is expected to provide a stern test to the world-class field.
“Delhi Golf Club has one of the most unique golf courses in the entire world, and the setting is such that the players are afraid to take out the driver earlier,” he said.
–IANS
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