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Kiran Matharu to compete in EMAAR-MGF Ladies Masters at Bangalore’s Eagleton Resort golf in DUBAI event

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(DUBAI, Nov 19) – First year Ladies European Tour player Kiran Matharu will return to her roots in India when she competes in the EMAAR-MGF Ladies Masters at Bangalore’s Eagleton Resort from December 5 to 8.

Promoted and organised by ‘golf in DUBAI,’ the first Ladies European Tour event in India will see a stellar star-cast, led by multiple winners Laura Davies, Trish Johnson and Gwladys Nocera, vying for a share in the €200,000 prize fund.

Kiran, whose family arrived in the UK from Punjab in India in 1958, is aiming for her first professional victory in India. A strong performance in both India and the Dubai Ladies Masters the following week could also result in her winning the Ryder Cup Wales Rookie of the Year Award, in association with the Bill Johnson Trophy.

Kiran is currently in third place on the standings with €54,929.25 in earnings from 13 events played on the LET this season. Sweden’s Louise Stahle is first with €79,678.66 from 12 events and South Korea’s Amy Yang is currently placed second with €57,796.47 from nine tournaments played.

“I played a tournament in India in March (the Indian Open on the Asian Tour). The sport is really getting popular in India,” said Kiran, 18, who seriously took to golf when she was just 11.

“I think a lot of people will find it difficult (playing in India). It was for me. It is very different being in India. The culture is different, obviously the food as well. But it will be really good,” she said.

Kiran’s best finish so far this year was tied-second at the Nykredit Masters in Denmark in September. She lost out to fellow Englishwoman Lisa Hall in a three-way play-off, but it was enough to clinch the Volvo Cross Country Challenge worth €32,145 along with a brand new Volvo XC70 car.

“I am happy to win the car — it was unexpected and I am really pleased,” said Matharu, who had not yet learned how to drive. In total, she has posted three top-10 finishes so far in 2007, with a tie for 10th in the S4C Wales Ladies Championship and a tie for fourth place in the Finnair Masters in Finland.

Kiran seems oblivious to her achievements so far. “I just want to be known as a good golfer, and that’s it,” said the Leeds based teenager.

Mohamed Buamaim, vice chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAI, added: “Kiran is fast emerging as a solid player on the tour and being of Indian origin, she will bring that extra flavour to the event in Bangalore. Her performance will certainly be a big boost to the game in India and may inspire many youngsters there to take to golf seriously,” he said. “I wish Kiran and all other players in the field a pleasant stay in India.”

‘golf in DUBAI’ in co-operation with the India Golf Union and the Women’s Golf Association of India will bring the best players in the game, both men and women, to India through the staging of world-class events with the European Tour sanctioning bodies (European Tour/Ladies European Tour).

‘golf in DUBAI’ is backed by EMAAR-MGF as the main partner to the event and Omega and CNN in its drive to showcase India’s vibrant golfing scene to a worldwide audience. The inaugural EMAAR – MGF tournaments will inject new excitement into India’s golf scene when they arrive in Bangalore and New Delhi.

Source: European Ladies Tour