NEWLY-crowned Lautoka Open champion Vikrant Chandra will not feature in the Champion versus Champion Golf Championship this weekend.
Vikrant, a Suva lawyer, will jet out of the country to India this Saturday to feature in the professional qualifying championship.
This year Vikrant won the Nadi Open, Suva Open, Fiji Amateur and Vatukoula Open titles.
National Golf Association of Fiji secretary Amitesh Chandra said a total of 18 players would participate in the two-day event.
He said the first 18 holes would be played at the Natadola Bay Championship course.
Amitesh said the tournament would then shift to the Nadi Airport Golf Club.
"On the second day 36 holes would be played," Amitesh said.
"Champion Vikrant, who has won almost all the national events this year, would not be participating since he is travelling to India to play in pro- qualifying rounds.
"But the tournament will not lack excitement. The other top golfers are participating. The winner will get free entry to all national events for 2013, the CVC Tanoa and a Srixon Cleveland stand golf bag.
"This is a tier one world ranking event for players and will serve as the first trial for 2013 Nomura Cup which will be played in Thailand in November. The selection for this will be based on performance locally."
The CVC tournament is jointly sponsored by Bomco Hardware, Islands Electric, Aqua Pacific, Srixon Cleveland, Pratap Investment, Coastal Rental and DHL Danzas.
Players who will feature in the two-day competition include; Anuresh Chandra, Olaf Allen Jr, Roneel Prakash, Baroon Hussein, Mohammed Faiyaz, Mohammed Sharif, Vikash Chand, Rajen Singh, Asish Chand, Asish Kumar, Munesh Prasad, Praneel Prasad, Nilesh Chand, Tristan Levestam, Jainendra Prasad, Ritesh Chandra and Amitesh. The tournament will tee off at 8am on Saturday at Natadola.