Gurgaon, Nov 8 (PTI) India's Khalin Joshi will be bidding to become the first player to successfully defend his title when the ninth edition of the Panasonic Open India starts next week.

The USD 400,000 full field Asian Tour event will be played at the Classic Golf and Country Club for the first time from November 14-17.

The tournament welcomes players from over 16 countries, making it a truly international event.

No Panasonic Open India champion has ever achieved the feat of defending their title since the tournament made its debut in 2011 but Joshi is hoping to be the first to do that.

"It's going to be exciting defending my first Asian Tour title. I like the golf course and my game is getting more positive and I'm confident," said Joshi.

"The win is still very fresh on my mind. I putted and drove the ball really well that week. There are positive signs now as I'm getting those similar feelings like last year. I just got to just block out unnecessary thoughts like I'm the defending champion and just play my own game."

Last year, Joshi produced a dramatic finish when he fired four birdies in his closing five holes to sign for a four-under-par 68 and clinch his maiden Asian Tour title by one shot over Bangladeshi Siddikur Rahman.

"The Classic Golf and Country Club is a lovely course and it's not very long. But it demands good driving and good putting as well. If you can put the ball on the fairway and putt well, you're going to be up there (leaderboard) for sure."

As the 2019 Asian Tour season nears its climax, the Indian hopes to end his year on a high note, having struggled to reach the heights of 2018. His best finish this season was only a tied-19th result in Chinese Taipei last month.

"I have not enjoyed a great season so far, but I hope to play well every week and put myself in a good position so that I can put myself in a winning situation again," said Joshi.

The Panasonic Open India will also kick off the third edition of the Asian Tour's 2019/20 Panasonic Swing, which is a ranking based on an aggregate points race that spans five events with the final top-three players chasing a share of a lucrative bonus pool.

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