Pro-AM Mangaluru Cup held at Pilikula Golf Club

The Pilikula Golf Club organised the maiden ‘Pro-AM Mangaluru Cup’ at the new floodlit Golf course in Mangaluru on Saturday.

In the event, golf professionals played alongside amateurs from across the country. Among the professionals who took part included S. Chikkarangappa, Avani Prashanth, Aryan Roopa Anand, Sneha Singh, Aman Raj, Divyanshu Bajaj, M. Dharma, I.L. Aalaap, M.S. Yashas Chandra, Udayan Mane, Khalin Joshi and Samarth Dwivedi.

Tournament director Gautam R. Padival said the professionals and 60 amateurs were distributed among 10 teams. The team that finishes the course with less number hits would be declared the winner. The event has been designed in a way to give amateurs an experience of playing with professional golfers.

The event started at 4 p.m. and ended around 9 p.m.

Mr. Chikkarangappa said though he has practised under lights, the Pro-AM tournament in Mangaluru was the first competition under flood lights that he was participating. Ms. Prashant and Ms. Singh said they were pretty excited to play in the tournament under lights.

Captain of Pilikula Golf Club, Manoj Kumar Shetty, said the new 18-hole golf course has come up in a year’s time. The entire 18-hole golf course was floodlit, which was needed for golfers playing in the harsh humid conditions in Mangaluru. The Pilikula Golf Course is the third floodlit golf course in the country. The Pro-AM Manglauru Cup was the first professional event under lights in the new golf course.

The new golf course, adjoining Shivarama Karanth Pilikula Nisargadhama, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on January 10.

Mr. Shetty said the club will shortly start Golf Excellence Academy to train youngsters.