LG to hold title rights for PGTI Tour Ch’ships, 2010

New Delhi, August 20, 2010: Electronics giant LG has signed a strategic partnership with Professional Golf Tour of India and will be the title rights holder for this year’s PGTI Tour Championships.

For this year, the company will bag the title rights for the flagship Rs 10 million PGTI year-ending Tour event and the inaugural Rs 5 million Ireland PGTI Pro-Am Race to Ireland.

“It is now clear that the professional golf has started consolidating itself here. It has always been our endeavour to partner with organisations who bring depth of understanding and commitment to the table,” PGTI Director Padamjit Sandhu said.

“I am confident that this new partnership will add immense value to the professional golf in India,” he added.

Two golfers Jyoti Randhawa and Anirban Lahiri also hoped that the initiative would serve the sport’s cause in the country.

“This deal is a good support to the game in general and also inspiring for the players. I am sure that it would help us to perform better in world stage,” Randhawa said.

Lahiri also expressed similar sentiment and said, “This is what the PGTI needs. It would help all of us to go from strength to strength.”

L K Gupta, Chief Marketing Officer of LG India, said, “Supporting the growth of sports has always been a key focus of us. We will work closely with the PGTI to create better and stronger playing opportunities for professional golf in the region and are confident that our partnership will add value.”

Shiv Kapur leads field in Czech Open

Celadna (Czech Republic), August 20, 2010: India's Shiv Kapur fired six successive birdies in his first seven holes to take a one-shot lead at the Czech Open 2010 with Peter Hanson and Tano Goya in second place.

Kapur, who finished second at the South African Open earlier in the season, birdied six holes in a row from the second to seventh holes and turned in a stunning six-under 30. Then he suffered a lapse, bogeying the 10th and 11th, but again birdied the 16th and 18th to finish at six-under 66.

The other Indian in the field, SSP Chowrasia, struggled to a four-over 76.

“I was six under through my first seven holes so it would have been nice to have added some birdies on the back nine. But golfers are never happy,' said Kapur. 'The course is fantastic and the greens are absolutely brilliant. They are rolling beautifully in spite of the rain.”

“I've never grown up on courses like this - I did on flat courses - but it suits my game as it is not a course that rewards long hitters.”

The 28-year-old Indian, who lost in a play-off to Richie Ramsay in the South African Open Championship earlier this season, boasts a one shot cushion over Argentinean Tano Goya, whose 67 included six birdies and a bogey, and Ryder Cup hopeful Hanson.

The year has so far been a disappointment for Kapur after the way he finished 2009 with consecutive top-10s at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and South African Open. This year he's made it to the weekend only seven times in 19 events, and missed his last three cuts.

Goya continued his affinity with the Prosper Golf Resort after leading in the first round last year, while England's Richard Bland shared third spot on four under par with Frenchman Julien Guerrier.