Greater Noida, Sep 16 (NationPress) Three-time Asian Tour champion Shiv Kapur and rising star Karandeep Kochhar, who balances his schedule between competitions in India and the Asian Tour, are set to join last week's victor Gaganjeet Bhullar at the IGPL Invitational NCR, the second event of the prestigious tour, hosted at Jaypee Greens. Bhullar is aiming for consecutive victories, kicking off the IGPL Tour with enthusiasm.

This trio will lead a competitive field of 54 participants in this second of 11 events, each boasting a prize pool of Rs. 1.5 crore. The lineup includes 48 professionals—comprising 36 men and 12 women—alongside six promising amateurs.

Among the contenders is the legendary Simi Mehra, a former LPGA player and a fierce competitor, who regularly participates on the Seniors Circuit in the United States.

Kapur, the last Indian to clinch an Asian Games gold medal back in 2002, expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming event, stating, “The IGPL represents a significant advancement, focused on creating opportunities. The fresh talent we witnessed last week in Chandigarh exemplifies the future of Indian golf—a group of emerging professionals like Veer Ganapathy, Kartik Singh, and Raghav Chug, alongside many enthusiastic amateurs, boys and girls, learning from seasoned players like Gaganjeet.”

Kochhar, who missed the inaugural IGPL event in Chandigarh, is thrilled to make his debut on the IGPL Tour. He has shown promising form, finishing T-18 in the Indonesia Pro-Am on the Asian Development Tour and T-14 at the Mandiri Open. He was the top Indian finisher in both events.

“I’m excited to be here. I was competing in the Asian Tour and ADT, so it’s great to debut at the IGPL,” said Kochhar, who was the runner-up at the Asian Tour’s Indonesian Masters this year, won by Bhullar.

Returning for another chance this week are young talents like Veer Ganapathy (third last week), Kartik Singh (T-8), Neil Jolly (T-6), Raghav Chugh (T-20), and Krish Chawla (T-22).

Kartik Singh, making his pro debut last week, prepared diligently and achieved the first hole-in-one on IGPL during practice, landing it on the 7th hole at Jaypee Greens.

Top women professionals Amandeep Drall and Sneha Singh are also gearing up for the upcoming Ladies European Tour event, the Hero Women’s Indian Open, slated for next month. Amandeep finished T-39 in the mixed field last week, while Jahanvi Bakshi, the top female competitor last week, secured 19th place, as Sneha prepares for her IGPL debut.

Recent winners from the WGAI’s Women’s Pro Golf Tour, including Amandeep Drall, Sneha Singh, Jasmine Shekar, and the new pro Heena Kang, who won in her second professional appearance in Bengaluru last month, will also be competing. Heena finished T-29 last week in IGPL Chandigarh.

Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO of the IGPL Tour, expressed his excitement about the participation of stars like Kapur, Kochhar, and Simi Mehra. “Witnessing these icons mentor young players while Gaganjeet Bhullar showcases his skills, as he did last week, is truly inspiring. That’s the essence of IGPL, and the response to our inaugural event in Chandigarh was fantastic, paving the way for growth across India.”

The tournament host, Ghei, a three-time Asian Tour winner and the first Indian to compete in the Open Championship, remarked, “It’s remarkable to observe how proficiently these youngsters play. They are performing exceptionally well and are unafraid to challenge seasoned professionals.”

This week, the six amateurs include Neil Jolly, who finished T-6 last week in Chandigarh; Jashan Ganapathy, whose brother Veer claimed third place in his pro debut; and Arshvant Srivastava, who boasts a series of Top-10 finishes in the US Kids Championships across India, China, and the UAE, including a sixth-place finish at the US Kids Teen World Championships two months ago.

Additionally, Ananyaa Sood is a promising contender, with three UAE victories at events like the JAGA International Amateur, Robert Rock Juniors, and the Tommy Fleetwood International Pathway Series. She also placed T-11 at the R&A Girls Amateur Under-16 in England. The other amateur talents include Vihaan Reddy and Ayan Dubey.

The three-day, 54-hole tournament from September 17-19 features a winner’s prize of Rs. 22.50 lakh from a total purse of Rs. 1.5 crore.