New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS): The Panasonic Open India is set to deliver another exciting week of top-notch golfing action when it gets underway for its eighth consecutive edition on the Asian Tour starting Thursday.

The highly-rated event will see leading players from India challenging for top honours against a strong international field made up of players from 17 other countries at the Delhi Golf Club.

Shiv Kapur will spearhead the elite field alongside compatriots Chiragh Kumar and Viraj Madappa, who became the youngest Indian winner on the Asian Tour following his breakthrough in August, as well as two-time Asian Tour winners Jazz Janewattananond and Panuphol Pittayarat of Thailand.

Sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), the Panasonic Open India will once again offer a prize purse of $400,000 when it returns to its regular venue for the eighth time in succession.

Since its inception in 2011, the Panasonic Open India has welcomed worthy champions in Anirban Lahiri, Digvijay Singh, Australian Wade Ormsby, the only non-Indian to win the tournament, S.S.P. Chawrasia, Chiragh Kumar, Mukesh Kumar and defending champion Shiv Kapur.

Kapur topped the inaugural Panasonic Swing ranking with total points of 2922.90 last year, thanks largely to his victory at the Panasonic Open India, which was his first Asian Tour victory on home soil and second win in 2017.

The 36-year-old Indian went on to win his fourth Asian Tour title at the Royal Cup in Thailand one month later and became the first and only player to win three times on the region's premier Tour that season.