Gaurav Pokhriyal, area director, Delhi Hotels, and GM, Taj Palace, shares how the Chip and Putt tournament has evolved over the years. By Arjita Mishra
Tell us about the association with Zoya.
Zoya partnered with Taj Palace as a principle sponsor of the event. Every year we have a sponsor of the event. First couple of years it was ET, Forbes, Fortune, last year being Vistara and this year — Zoya, a luxury jewellery brand from The Tata group (Parent group of both brands). There was a synergy between Taj and Zoya in terms of similar audience, aspirational offerings and impeccable service standards.This event was a perfect fit for Zoya as they could engage with spouses while men were playing. The brand could create engagement with the women, offering them a niche product and an unmatched service
How many women participants did the tournament seeIJ
Around 18-20 women played the tournament and four out of them were in the winners list.
Considering this is the 6th edition of the tournament, how have you seen the event evolving and changing over the yearsIJ
Chip & Putt at the Taj Palace golf course started six years ago with an audience of 60. Over the years it has grown famous by the number of diplomats and corporate head honchos who love to spend a relaxed evening of chipping and putting, coupled with cocktails and conversations instead of a full-fledged game of gold which they anyway indulge in for long hours at the golf courses in Delhi. From the first year till the sixth, the progression has been great with the game doing five to six rounds with over 317 guests and a fabulous live contemporary Jazz band — Drift Trio, in attendance, to uplift the ambience to an all new level. Year after year, we have regulars of the golf circuit who are our loyalists and block their dates for this evening much in advance, some patrons being Amit luthra, luthra & luthra and Indian golfer, Ashok Swaroop from Citibank, Ranjith Nanda from Ranjith Nanda Associates, Rajeev Manglani from Meena Bazaar and Sanjay Singh from TATA Sons to name a few.
Who were the winners of the tournamentIJ
Dhruv Singh, Atul Dhir, Namrata Dhir, Arun Kumar, Ranjit Nanda, Akshay Maheshwari.
photos Pankaj Kumar