Golfer Chawrasia biggest draw at Louis Philippe Cup (Preview)

S.S.P. Chawrasia will be the biggest name in action when the fifth edition of the Louis Philippe Cup Pro Golf League starts at the Karnataka Golf Association course here on Wednesday.

The Kolkata golfer will represent the Take Chennai team in the tournament which will be held from June 1-4. Having qualified for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Chawrasia will be giving it his best before the quadrennial sporting extravaganza in August. He arrived here in the wee hours of Tuesday after playing a tournament in Wentworth in the UK.

"The team composition is good this year as we have kept the same team from last year. All our players are playing well and we are confident going into the tournament," Chawrasia said on Monday.

His teammates are Bengaluru-based players Khalin Joshi and Chikkarangappa S. Take Chennai will also have the services of veteran producer and director Mani Ratnam. Each team will have, apart from three pros, two amateurs whose scores will count for the inter-city event. This will be only for Wednesday's action.

Eight teams will vie for the trophy apart from the Rs 1.2 crore in prize money. Three times winners Navratna Ahmedabad are the defending champions while the other teams are Dev Chandigarh, debutants NSports Hyderabad, Laqshya Mumbai, Take Chennai, Zion Hills Bengaluru, DLF Crest Gurgaon and Jaypee Greens Greater Noida.

Being hosted in Bengaluru, the focus of this city-based franchise tournament will be the local team comprising of Rahil Gangjee, Abhijit Chadha and M. Dharma.

"We have a definitive advantage and hope to be the winners. I have confidence in the team as Rahil is amongst the top 60 on the Asian Tour and Abhijit is amongst the top 3 on the PGTI rankings. We also have a home advantage," a confident Dharma said on the eve of the tournament.

--IANS

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