'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Over 300 golfers are expected to compete in the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) qualifying school event that will commence at the Kalhaar Blues & Greens Golf Club in Ahmedabad from Friday.
The 2021 qualifying school tournament was postponed due to the pandemic. The last PGTI qualifying school event was staged in January 2020.
The qualifying school is the only route for players to play on PGTI in a particular season. This year, the qualifying school has attracted as many as 259 professionals and 79 amateurs during the fortnight-long tournament in Ahmedabad.
This year's qualifying school tournament will determine the criteria for players for the whole season. The qualifying school is the longest tournament among all the PGTI events as it is staged over a period of two weeks.
Several young leading amateur and junior golfers from India and overseas will be seen in action during qualifying school with the goal of qualifying for PGTI and subsequently turning professional.
In addition to Indian golfers, as many as 20 golfers from foreign nations will compete in the Ahmedabad event.
The first stage of the qualification round will comprise three 36-hole events - pre-qualifying I, pre-qualifying II and pre-qualifying III.
While pre-qualifying I will be staged on January 7 and 8, the second pre-qualifying stage will be held on January 10 and 11. The third pre-qualifying event will take place on January 13 and 14.
The qualifiers from the first stage will join the 48 golfers in the final stage scheduled to be held from January 17-20. The 72-hole final stage event will feature as many as 120 golfers.
The top 80 and ties will make the halfway cut after two rounds of the final stage. At the end of the final stage, the top 40 players will earn their full cards for the 2022 PGTI season. The final stage also offers a total prize purse of Rs 5 lakh.
