Hometown hero SSP Chawrasia returns to the golf club where he not only learnt the game, but where his father was also the green keeper.
Joel Moscatel immerses himself in local culture at one of city’s flower markets.
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen puts in a dominant display to win the Kolkata Challenge, his first victory on tour.
This is one of sports great Proving Grounds a gateway to Glory brilliant 30 tournaments spanning 19 countries along the way a chance to expand Horizons and Sample life on tour how beautiful is that magic finish the season in the top 20 on the road to mayorca rankings and secure
A golden ticket to the Deb World Tour this is the challenge tour we’re in West benal this week on The Challenge tour for the Kolkata challenge the Royal Kolkata Golf Club plays host and is also home quite literally to four time DP World Tour winner and one of India’s most decorated golfers SSP
Chasia two three my father he was a green keeper and all so that’s how we start playing golf it’s very hard to play this Sports because it’s very tough to get the equipments entrance Club so the luckily my father he was working here so I was get that chance to play so
And that’s why I was here when I was like 6 seven years old and I saw everyone playing golf so I was also thinking you know let’s start do it so that time very hard to get the club I told you so so the we can take the stick
From the you know uh branches and they start swinging swinging swinging and then then slowly slowly get involved with the club and then get the stct so he did go to school I think till he was 12 or 13 and then he decided to to sort of play golf which was at his
Father’s annoyance because he was the youngest child and he wanted the Elder children and the father to really make get him educated so that he could get a job or something a better job but unfortunately he did much better than his father expected to this day his
Father and mother are both alive and he looks after them dearly I was catting for like few years after caddy I’m doing my own practice and that time was very hard to get the clubs to be honest so you know I can borrow someone some members I can ask so
They can give actually members are very friendly here to be honest I remember I was asking money from the my house my mom so Mom said come on we have a big family so we can’t give you like that much money so I said okay fine so but she was giving me some
Of amount I say okay Mom thank you so and that that money I go and start Playing I think I initially I miscut one or two events that money is gone finished so the next events next few weeks so I was again coming back home and practicing here and think thinking how will I go so and that time I was cading one of the members here so and I
Was talking to him I said I’m going to play some event so I need some loan from you he said okay I’ll will give you uh so that money I took it again and then start from their journey and still now I’m here playing European tour yes home still very much where his
Heart is and where ssps enjoyed his success on the DP World Tour including lifting backtack titles at the Indian open in 2016 and 17 look I played 27 years in my career so and uh I guess uh I can make it more take that cheers but some of uh trophies I
Don’t have because I remember earlier when I was win they give check the big check so they don’t give the trophy so that I think six seven wins I don’t have that tropy which one do you like the most see National openen of course uh that’s a national open one of the
Biggest events so Indian open that’s my very uh special things so and yeah Indian open and that’s the Main I used to stay ninth green he used to practice next to the range so I used to Bunk my school and comment watch him next I sit next to him and I keep asking question like how do you practice like what is your routine what you do like your daily routine how
To prepare he is one of the favorite sons of this club and I think he has a lot of well-wishes within the members fraternity he still conducts himself brilliantly cuz I’ve seen his story right come out and it’s like a it’s like a movie so you know I’ve seen this very
Close and uh the bigger part of this entire story is that he’s remained humble he’s always is respectful and he’s always sort of treated me like an elder brother two very different challenges two very different conditions I grew up here so you know I have a more
Friend my family here so I don’t want to leave them because uh when I play like 4 five weeks I always love to come home and stay like couple of weeks or maybe one or two weeks and then and then go so I think my friends and family here so
That’s why I I like here stay I’m delighted with the progress I’m very proud to be honest myself because I know where I’m start and right now where I’m sitting so I’m very proud not even I’m thinking when I will start this thing golf I achiev so much so I’m
Very happy and I’m very proud how’s everything good you today so it was good rest India very SSP JIA Well SSP got off to a steady if unspectacular start to his week playing alongside last week’s winner John Parry starting on the 10th Tasia opened up with five consecutive pars before he did get into red numbers with a welcome birdie at the short par 51 15th he would close out his outward 9
With three more regulation pars to sit at one under starting his back nine at the first a further string of pars followed but what looked like a potentially blemish free opening day was hindered by three Drop shots in a row which saw him fall back to two over
Par meanwhile after his success last week SSP playing partner John Parry was continuing his love affair with India three birdes in his final six holes helped him to a bogey free 68 leaving him nicely positioned just one shot off the lead held by the Indian Duo a alaat and Udan
Mané a tough start for Chia though an opening 74 left him with work to do to make the cut I was play okay but I couldn’t make the F Back N I was struggling a little with my drive but overall I’m okay tomorrow I will try my best and uh I
Have to shoot uh tomorrow under par because I saw the scoring so so I will try my best tomorrow and then See Friday morning at Royal Kolkata golf club and starting the day eight shots off the lead chia’s immediate Focus was on making the weekend but it wasn’t to be the start the Local Hero was looking for two Drop shots in his opening three holes saw him drop further down the
Leaderboard a birdie at the fourth saw him claw one back as he closed out his frontward nine in 37 to sit at plus three for the tournament and the Outlook bleak SSP continued his run of pars before finally giving himself a glimmer of hope on the 14th where he recorded his second
Birdie of the day as he had done on Thursday SSP then claimed a birdie on the path five 15th he was starting to Trend in the right direction and moved under par for the day elsewhere Denmark’s Rasmus near God Pon was enjoying greater success he would take a two-shot lead into the Weekend three closing pars for trazia would add up to a 71 two over for the tournament but with the cut Mark looking to be around one under there was to be no fairy tale win for SSP that’s part of game like I play bad I miss cut that can be any course like
My home course if I play bad I can I I have to miss cut so I’m not expecting playing bad and making Cuts so and that’s a very normal thing for us to be honest so I don’t yeah of course I feel bad no doubt so I can go out my game
Practicing more so but uh uh maybe I can feel a little bit after finish my round but I think I’m getting slowly slowly better so stay with us as we follow the challenge tour where we’re in the market to sample colorful Kata I’m really happy to have this Taste of India and we’ll
Discover who Reigns Supreme on the second leg of our Indian swing see you after the Break welcome back to the challenge tour as we immerse ourselves in the unique sight sounds and culture of India and more specifically this week the vibrant Kolkata challenge after 2 days spent In the Heat of battle Denmark’s Rasmus neard peton had emerged with a two-shot lead over Scott Daniel young with last week’s
Winner John Perry having another good week but there was plenty more golf still to play and so it was on with the weekend action Josh Antman is your guide as the players took to the course for moving day rounds of 67 and 70 had put India alawa in a good
Position This brilliant Birdie onen the first led to another 70 and a tie for fifth after 3 days winner in Cape toown last month Mikel Lumberg was looking for win number two in 20124 it’s fantastic Approach at the first Leed to a birdie and a bogy free
66 to see him in with a Chance of another trophy just his second year on the challenge tour for Rasmus near guard Pon looking for his Maiden win and he was leading the way heading into the weekend started his Saturday well with this first birdie of the day at the
Second 45-year-old rahil gangji was showing some of the youngsters how it was done this is third at the Par Four brilliant from gangji started a run of four birdies in a row and it was a 67 On Moving Day for gangji and a tie for
Second place was a top 10 last week at the Delhi challenge for tapio pulen and and he continued that good form at the Royal Kolkata Golf Club this was a sensational approach into the 18th it would only be a par though but a 66 from the Finn and he was
Right in the hunt however they were all chasing the Dane near guard petson he came back after aogi at the sixth with birdies at 9 and 12 then broke himself well away from the pack towards the end of Saturday this t-shot on the driver ball par 4 16th set up another bird for
The Dane and he wasn’t done there on Saturday plenty of locals watching on but ultimate hole par for 17th had this to get to 15 underp brilliant stuff a four shot lead still one hole left to play of his third Round had this to really spread the field with 18 to play wasn’t to be but a second 68 of the week saw him take a four shot Advantage with 18 to [Applause] play yes a look at the leader board with the final round still to come and three
Indian players were nicely positioned to give local fans something to cheer heading into Sunday already a winner this season Mikel Lindberg was well placed too but after those back-to-back 68s it was near guard Pon with the targets on his back sitting pretty at the top with a four shot Lead and Now for Something Completely Different for Barcelona boy Joel moscatel India was a whole new world and what better way to immerse himself in the local atmosphere and to pay a visit to the incredible molik Gap Flower Market so welcome to your first day in
Kata and uh what better place to start them the flower market I personally feel if India is chaos in color this is such a manifestation of that can’t wait to show you around thank you I can’t wait to see yeah Come so they have been here from 3:00 a.m. huh yeah many of them yeah some of them I mean I’ve never seen the market shut actually every day every single day there’s no holidays wow the stuff being sold every single day this is as local as as it can get
Here so even if there’s any spice even if it’s just so Masala is a spice Masala means spice okay the Moment of Truth this is this is the one yeah nothing like I I have ever tried before this is smells so good so so good I’m I’m actually really happy to
Have this Taste of India this is this is the most common flower yeah this is used a lot in garlands and stuff and that is the Jasmine thank you smell it smells so good huh yeah crazy I think you should wear it looks good wow but you you you buy all of
These yeah so this is this is what it’s called it’s a it’s a it’s a unit of me 20 you know it is amazing thank you I don’t have a girl to to give it to let’s find someone some say that the flower market has been existing since the mid 1800
Okay this is for you [Laughter] that’s pretty much the market that’s nice it’s quite a big Market oh it is yeah I have I have to thank you uh what you show me what what I could see here it’s it’s an impressive market and such a pleasure showing you and I loved
Everything to be honest so beautiful so have a great stay and uh all the best for the tournament man thank you very much all the best you do take care I’ll follow see you bye see you yes a memorable immersive sample of India’s unique atmosphere certainly a welcome distraction but come Sunday
Morning it was all eyes back to the main business and the final day goal at the Kata challenge who would take home the silverware and cap off a fantastic two weeks in India back to Josh to find out plenty of local support for rahill gangji on the final day and he gave him
Something to shout about with this fantastic approach on the first led to a birdie on the opening half David horse’s name hasn’t been on a leader board for some time but the man from Stockport was having a fine week in Kolkata this Birdie on three got him to
Double digits a few injuries last year set him back the signs are good for horsey overnight leader near guard Pon steady start on Sunday with five Pars in a row but he broke that R in style at the sixth that chipping got him to 16 under par and a four shot Advantage once
Again closest Challenger was Gangi had dropped shots on six and seven which did halt the progress but finishes front line underp after this Sensational approach into the night g into 12 under pass still four behind a successful week for alaat underp all four days and this birdie at the 15th
Helped him to a 71 and a tie for fifth horsey qualified for the US Open last year but unfortunately didn’t make the weekend La Country Club but there were plenty of birdies on Sunday six in total including this one at 14 which meant two 67s over the weekend and a
Share of second place great week for horsey swed Mel Lindberg just couldn’t get things going on Sunday three Bogies in his round up to this point on the 15th this was his third shot of the par four it’d be a 73 in the end for the
Swed the only overpar round in the top 10 nigar petson had a double bogey six on the 12th which gave encouragement to the chasing pack but he responded super with a birdie at 13 and this on 14 and it was a three- shot lead with four to play for the
D after losing his card on the DP World Tour last season Alex Levy has bounced back with some promise on the challenge tour the top 10 in Delhi last week and this was at 16 his final bird of the week fourth place on his own and more
Vital road to be Ora points for the Frenchmen what a week it turned out to be for Rael gangji born in Kolkata a huge group following him on Sunday rolling Back The Years with a fantastic four days that was at 15 for birdie a 69
To close his week and a tie for second alongside horsey brilliant stuff but no one was catching Rasmus near guard Patterson he was fairly on trouble coming home this par part on the last meant a 71 and the day was Victorious by two shots and a winner on
The challenge tour for the very first time yes tied 116th in Delhi top of the pile one week later quite the Improvement for a 24-year-old Rising Scandinavian star so after a hugely enjoyable finale a glance at the leaderboard showing India well represented in the final shakeup rahil gangji the top home player
On the podium alongside England’s David Horsey but despite their best efforts it wasn’t quite good enough to overhaul our leader since day two one very happy day please put your hands together for rasm from Denmark going into the the final round with the four shot lead it’s
And watching that you know rill played great to they kept bouncing back he had a couple Bogies on six and seven but bounced right back and uh he gave me a tough run in that’s for sure so after six of events our February Baines whiskey Cape Town open winner
Mikel Lindberg tops our early road to mayorca rankings thanks to this week’s fifth place finish while our winner nard Pon climbs 29 places to Second after capturing his Maiden challenge tour title further down Alex Levy moves up 10 places to 13th as he looks for a return
To the DP World Tour and occupying that critical 20th spot it’s Josh Grenville wood and so another stay in the wonderful country of India comes to a close a fortnite in which we’ve crowned two great Champions and seen a shift in the rankings we’ll take a brief break now
But we’ll be back with batteries recharged in just a few weeks when we head to the UAE as the fight for those all important DP World Tour cards continues
