The inaugural Khyber Cup at Royal Springs Golf Course showcased both fierce competition and the forging of lasting friendships
The first edition of the much anticipated KHYBER CUP golf tournament was flagged off at the Royal Springs Golf Club, Srinagar with great fanfare. 100 golfers participated, many of whom had travelled from as far away as Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Jaipur, Jalandhar and Delhi.
The tournament was played over two rounds or 36 holes with the total scores of both days determining the individual winners in various categories.
Said Khalil Trumboo, Promoter, The Khyber Gulmarg “We were very grateful to see the response to this tournament with 65 outstation guests travelling from across India for this tournament, including many captains of industry and business leaders, especially as many of them were visiting Kashmir for the first time. This will be an annual event which we hope will grow from strength to strength. I hope their experience of the beauty and hospitality of Kashmir will encourage them to return “. Khalil Trumboo later presented a memento of appreciation to Royal Springs Golf Club officials for their support in preparing the golf course into the required conditions to host the tournament.
The Tournament Director, Rishi Narain, former Asian Games Gold Medallist for India in Golf and multi-time National Champion said “The feedback from visitors from across India was that the Royal Springs Golf Club is an absolutely stunning golf course and the hospitality of The Khyber as well as the visit to Gulmarg surpassed their expectations. Everyone enjoyed the challenge this amazing golf course presented and the tournament was run on the lines of the best of international competitions, so players were treated to a great experience. We are sure The Khyber Cup will grow to become a highly sought after annual tournament for players from around India, in the future.”
A gala awards evening was held at The Khyber Gulmarg attended by all the participants, with live musical performances marking the closing ceremony for the tournament.
Among the winners were:
Visitors Category: ( All scores are on Nett format )
Winners Div A – Vijay Kumar Jha – Score 145
Runner up Div A – Amit Khansaheb – Score 146
Winner Div B – Anil Arora – score 150 ( won on tie-break)
Runner up Div B – Vineet Rastogi – 150
RSGC Members’ Category
Winners Div A – Shabbir Bhat – Score 143 ( won on tie-break)
Runner up Div A – Ghalib Shah – Score 143
Winner Div B – Zaman Sheikh– score 144 ( won on tie-break)
Runner up Div B – Ishifaq Hussaini– 144
Ladies Winner
Chandana Raju – 151
Special Contest Winners
Closest to Pin – Bharat Sharma – 6 inches
Longest Drive – Ahmed Mir – 315 yards
Straightest Drive – DP Singh
Ladies’ Straightest Drive – Haya Trumboo
The event grabbed considerable media attention in Kashmir as it highlighted safety and security in Srinagar even during the state elections.
