KARACHI, Jan 16: Pakistan Golf Federation (PGF) has raised US$400,000 for Asian Tour-Pakistan Open golf, which tees off at Karachi Golf Club (KGC) from Thursday, secretary PGF Taimur Hussain said on Monday.

“It’s a great honour the Asian Tour is returning to Pakistan after a lapse of nine years,” Taimur told a news conference he addressed jointly with tournament directors Wanchai Meechai, Michael Uyede, secretary Sindh Golf Association Asad I A Khan and sponsors at KGC.

He defended the federation’s decision not to send any golfer to qualifying school in Malaysia for the Asian Tour despite having raised such a huge amount.

Three Pakistanis, Shabbir Iqbal, Abbas Ali and Muhammad Munir had qualified to play the entire Asian Tour, besides, they would also feature in several top events of Asia, he said.

He said over 100 golfers from Australia, Chinese Taipei, India, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, the Philippines, Holland, Swaziland, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Thailand and hosts Pakistan would participate in the four-day 72-hole mega event.

Some of the leading golfers would not take part in the event because its schedule clashed with that of Abu Dhabi Open Golf, he said adding though the PGF had finalized dates well before Abu Dhabi event many players opted to play the lucrative event.

Prominent golfers missing the event are Asian number one and two Jyoti Randhawa (India) and Weera Chant (Thailand).

Director Event Services Michael Uyede called KGC an excellent venue and expressed the hope a large number of audience would turn up to witness some of the big names in Asia.

The winner would get $31,700.

National Bank of Pakistan and Warid Telecom are title sponsors for the $200,000 event.—APP