Bengaluru golfers BM Rangaswamy and Kiran C, claimed the first two National Final spots at the end of day one of the 17th annual Mercedes Trophy, the three-day fourth leg of which is underway at the Prestige Golfshire Golf Club on the outskirts of the city.
Two further days will see four more winners book their tickets to the finals to be held at the Oxford Golf Resort, Pune between 15-17 March, 2017. BM Rangaswamy logged a net score of 73.6 points in CAT A (0-16) handicap category while Kiran C topped his handicap category CAT B (17-24) with a score of 74.4 points.
Speaking after his round Mr. BM Rangaswamy said, “I really don’t know what to say. It is a very well arranged tournament first of all. This is really big for me.”
There were a host of other prizes on offer on the day. Prominent winners included ex-India cricketer Sujith Somasundar, who won the Ballantine’s Long Drive Challenge on the 13th hole with a mammoth drive of 291 yards.
Purnesh DM won the SWISS Closest to Pin contest landing the ball just over feet, from the pin on hole 2. Mercedes–Benz straightest drive on hole four was Bhanu Prakash with a 9-inch drive. Mercedes-Benz closest to pin in two shots was won by Dr. Prakash BR with a 3ft. shot on hole 11. The best gross winner was won by Prakash V with a gross score of 81.
Also read: Mumbai qualifiers for Mercedes Trophy 2017 national finals identified
The format of play was Double Peoria. This unique format of adjusting handicaps of players levels the playing field enabling golfers to have a greater chance of qualifying for the National Finals.
The Bangalore leg was the fourth leg of the 12-city tournament which kick-started the MercedesTrophy globally. This year, the Mercedes Trophy will travel to 50 countries engaging 60,000 golfers worldwide. The Indian leg will witness 25 days of competitive amateur golfing action in 12 cities engaging 2500 golfers, making it larger than ever before. Mercedes Trophy’s next stop is at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club in Mumbai, which is a 3-day event.
Three Winners from the National Finals will further progress to the Mercedes Trophy World Finals – Stuttgart, Germany in September 2017 to compete against winners from all over the world. One winner will travel to Scotland to witness the British Open at Royal Birkdale in July.
