New Delhi: The Indian Open, which skipped an edition in 2014, will be jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour in 2015, officials said on Friday.
The event, scheduled to take place from February 19-22, 2015 will carry a purse of USD 1.5 million. The venue will be announced soon.
The championship will be promoted by Nimbus Sport, which has extended its partnership with the Indian Golf Union (IGU) to manage and promote the Indian Open from 2015 to 2017.
The tournament, which has been played since 1964, will offer the chance for Indian golfing talents to compete against many of the top players from both Tours, which began to co-sanction tournaments together in Asia since 1999.
Raian Irani, President of the Indian Golf Union said, "The Indian Open has been the pride of Indian Golf for 50 years on the trot. Starting from 1964, the IGU has ensured that the tournament is conducted in all its glory.
"The IGU Council is extremely delighted by the elevation of the tournament as a European Tour event, which will not only attract the best talent but also will also place the tournament on an even higher pedestal and add to its grandeur.
"Now that the bar has been further raised, I am sure that winning the Indian Open will be on every golfer's wish-list, locally and globally. The unrelenting efforts of the IGU and all its stakeholders over the years have paid rich dividends and led to this accolade. And so, we would like to take this opportunity to share our gratitude with all our stake holders who have ensured the successful conduct of the tournament over the years."
Asian Tour Chairman Kyi Hla Han said: "The Indian Open has long been one of the most prestigious national championships on the Asian Tour, attracting the Tour's best players from across the region.
"With the inclusion of the European Tour as a sanctioning partner from 2015 onwards, the Indian Open will continue to provide the galleries and television viewers with a world-class spectacle of golf as our top players will now enjoy the opportunity to take on the top stars from The European Tour in India."
Keith Waters, Chief Operating Officer and Director of International Policy for The European Tour, said: "We are delighted to announce the Indian Open will be part of The Race to Dubai in 2015 and we look forward to returning to India, following five editions of the Avantha Masters from 2008-13."
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