It has been 25 years since they finished top two at the Indian Open here in 1999. The duo of Arjun Atwal and SSP Chawrasia will be back at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, for the inaugural Kolkata Challenge 2024, beginning here on Thursday.

The March 21–24 tournament marks the return of an international event to the RCGC after a long gap of 25 years. “We are proud to host the Kolkata Challenge, an international event at RCGC, after 25 years. We welcome all the overseas and PGTI players,” Gaurav Ghosh, captain of RCGC, said.

“It’s a pleasure to be back home. I’m probably the oldest man on the field, so expectations are low. We will see what happens,” Atwal said on Tuesday. He was quick to add that he knows the course like the back of his hand. “But there is a thing to be said about experience as well. I know every corner of this golf course.”

Chawrasia remembered that eventful tournament of 1999 and how it shaped his career. “I was just 18 then. I couldn’t remember so many things. Everything was shocking for me. My career changed from there,” he said.

The other Indians in the fray include DP World Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar, Manu Gandas, Rashid Khan and Udayan Mane. The leading international names include John Parry of England and France’s Martin Couvra.

The tournament is co-sanctioned by the European Challenge Tour and the PGTI and has a prize purse of $ 300,000.