Keen competition in PGTI

Richard Dwight

Everything did appear calm and peaceful with the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations in progress with not much of the harrowing motor traffic to contend with as well.

But the Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC) yesterday was a pleasant hive of activity for it was the venue of the first day of the four day Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI). The main sponsor of which was the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, the Gold sponsor being Dialog and there were yet others.

There were 97 foreign golfers in the fray who were inclusive of Indians, B'deshis, Nepalese, Pakistanis, Australians and South Africans. The Sri Lanka professionals are Mithun Perera, Anura Rohana, K. Prabagaran and six Sri Lankan amateur golfers playing against professionals and not having a bearing on the tournament.

It was an 18 hole course the par being 71 and the format for play was stroke play. The emerging first 13 yesterday were as of day one.

1. Divyanshu Bajaj (Ind) 66, 2. M. Dharma (Ind) 67, 2. Angad Cheema (Ind) 67, 4. Raju Ali Mollah (Ind) 68, 4. Chikkarangappas (Ind) 68, 6. Amardip Singh Malik (Ind) 69, 6. Mitun Perera (SL) 69, 6. Shivaram Shpestha (Nepal) 69, 9. Mandeo Singh Pathana (Ind) 70, 9. MD Zamal Hossain Mollah (Pak) 70, 9. Gurbazz P.S. Manna (Ind) 70, 9. MD Jakiruzzaman Jakir (Pak) 70, 9. A. Jeetesh Sandhu (Ind) 70,