Avantha Masters Preview

The European Tour is in India this week for the Avantha Masters at DLF Golf and Country Club in New Delhi. Home players Jeev Milkha Singh and Shiv Kapur will be looking to make an impact.

Jeev Milkha Singh is favourite
Fergus Bisset
By
published

Lowdown: The European Tour is in India this week for the Avantha Masters at DLF Golf and Country Club in New Delhi. Home players Jeev Milkha Singh and Shiv Kapur will be looking to make an impact. The competition is, in fact, sanctioned by three tours - the European Tour, the Asian Tour and the Professional Golf Tour of India. With the exposure from the media, it's hoped the tournament will encourage the growth of the game in the world's second most populous country. "This week is a showcase for us and a great chance to put India on the golfing map," said Indian star player Shiv Kapur. The Indian pros will have to get past a high quality field if they're to win on home soil. Ryder Cup players Darren Clarke and David Howell will be among those who tee it up in New Delhi. The European Tour has visited the DLF Golf and Country Club before when New Zealand's Mark Brown won the Johnnie Walker Classic here back in 2008. Brown is also in the field for this tournament. The championship course at the DLF G&CC was designed by Arnold Palmer. It's a garden-style layout with lush, rolling fairways, water hazards and many varieties of plants and shrubs surrounding the holes.

Venue: DLF Golf and Country Club, New Delhi, India Date: Feb 11-14 Course stats: par 72, 7,156 yards Purse: €1,500,000 Winner: €250,000 Defending Champion: Inaugural event on European Tour

TV Coverage: Thursday 11 - Live on Sky Sports 1 from 9am Friday 12 - Live on Sky Sports 1 from 9am Saturday 13 - Live on Sky Sports 2 from 6.30am Sunday 14 - Live on Sky Sports 3 from 6.30am

Player Watch: Jeev Milkha Singh - India's number one showed reasonable form through the Gulf Swing and will be hoping to secure victory on home soil. Rhys Davies - The 2009 Challenge Tour graduate finished in a tie for sixth at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. He'll aim to build on that finish here. Shane Lowry - After a slow start to his professional career, the Irishman has found his feet in the pro ranks. He's currently 22nd in the Race to Dubai.

Key hole: 18th. A par 5 of 537 yards, this is a classic risk and reward finishing hole. Water short of the green means a decision must be made as to whether it's possible to go for it in two shots. The hole has the potential to witness eagles and double bogeys so there could be swings at the top of the leaderboard right at the death.

Skills required: Beating the home players. The Indian trio of Jeev Milkha Singh, Shiv Kapur and Jyoti Rhandawa will be tough to get past this week.

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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