Chandigarh, Sep 9 (IANS) An exciting mix of young and experienced golfers is all set to usher in a new era of Indian golf as the inaugural IGPL Invitational tees off at the iconic Chandigarh Golf Club on Wednesday. The IGPL unveils a brand-new format that brings together talent from all segments – both men and women pro golfers and top amateurs.
The IGPL Tour will have a series of events with multiple incentives, including handsome purses of Rs 1.5 crore at each event in a season that will last till December and comprise 11 events.
A visibly pleased Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO, IGPL and a former pro with a lot of success as a player, said, “Thank you all for being here at the press conference of the first event of the IGPL tour. It’s a pleasure to be at my home club, Chandigarh Golf Club, and I am truly grateful for their ongoing support. IGPL is all about being progressive, innovative, and inclusive – featuring both men and women professionals competing together for the same purse, which is a first globally.”
He added, “This is not just a golf tour, it’s a celebration of the sport, with entertainment, lifestyle, and growth at its core. We are building something bigger than golf – developing academies, driving ranges, and fostering grassroots programs. Thank you again for being here, and we look forward to seeing you throughout the tour.”
Leading the star parade will be India’s most successful winner on the Asian circuit, Gaganjeet Bhullar, who has 11 wins in the events across the region, besides other wins in and out of India.
Bhullar said, “I would like to thank everyone present here for supporting the IGPL. We have been discussing this idea for a long time and brainstorming on what kind of format will bring a buzz to Indian golf. I want to thank the IGPL team who have worked so hard over the last 4-5 months to bring everything together.
“The moment you enter a golf club, you feel as if you are a part of the European Tour or the PGA Tour. Chandigarh Golf Club is my home club. I have played here for many years. I am super excited since I found out that the first event will take place here. Also, I would like to congratulate the staff as the golf course is tremendous despite it being raining heavily for the past 2-3 days.”
Bhullar also announced that his foundation has donated 1,00,000 USD to the Khalsa Aid Foundation to help the flood victims in the region of Punjab.
Aadil Bedi, a local star with a good record in India and outside, was happy to be at his home club and said, “It’s been my home club for many years. I have seen many tournaments, but the buzz for IGPL is more than any other event. It’s been in the making for many years, and for it to start from Chandigarh is a cherry on the cake. I wish my very best to all the male and female players.”
Aadil also announced that he has decided to donate 100 per cent of his winnings to the Punjab flood relief fund.
Neha Tripathi, one of the experienced stars from IGPL’s partner, Women’s Golf Association of India, and a multiple winner, was thrilled and commented, “I want to thank the co-founders for starting the league. The buzz has been there for a long time. I am quite excited for it to be up and running. The format of guys and girls playing together gives a good opportunity to make good bucks and learn as a player. Apart from the camaraderie that we share, it’s a good opportunity to learn from each other for bigger competitions.”
Other stars in the field include the path-breaking Gaurav Ghei, an icon player on the IGPL circuit, who was the first Indian to play at the Open. Ghei also won three times on the Asian Tour. Ghei, former Indian Open Champion C Muniyappa and Asian Tour winner Chiragh Kumar are among the other winners of international titles on the Asian Tour.
Two of India’s most exciting young stars, who turn professional this week will be Kartik Singh, who played in the International Series earlier in the year and has represented India at multiple events in the last few years, and Veer Ganapathy, son of former pro, Rahul Ganapathy, a prolific performer in his heyday, who now is a coach with a big list of promising and successful juniors from Bengaluru.
The field will comprise 54 players, who will play for a whopping purse of Rs. 1.5 crore, which will be distributed based on their respective finishes. With the tournament not having a cut, all players will go back with handsome cheques.
The field includes 10 women, who have had success on the Women’s Pro Golf Tour and include names like Amandeep Drall, a former runner-up on the Ladies European Tour event, the Women’s Indian Open and winners on the domestic pro circuit like Neha Tripathi, Seher Atwal, Jasmine Shekar, Vidhatri Urs, and Heena Kang.
One of the most exciting innovations in the IGPL Tour will be the addition of talented amateurs. The first event will see India’s reigning All India Amateur champion, Mannat Brar, who created history by becoming the first Indian to reach the last 16 of the prestigious R&A Women’s Amateur. Last year, she was third at the R&A Girls Championship.
Two young stars, Harjai Milkha Singh and Zorawar Randhawa, sons of the legendary Indian golfers Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa, will play alongside top Indian men and women pros for a taste of the highest level of competition. The legendary Jeev Milkha and Randhawa are also likely to be seen in action in the IGPL later in the season.
Taking cognisance of the ongoing challenging times and relief efforts in the region, the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) management, participating players, and brand ambassador, Yuvraj Singh, announced a contribution to the relief efforts in Punjab during the Chandigarh tour.
This will be collected across prize money, merchandise, and donation contributions from the tournament taking place here.
Additionally, the team is directly dispatching a truck with essentials to the flood-impacted areas as well as conducting a bike rally in the region to further raise awareness and contributions.
The IGPL officials said, “We all deeply sympathise with the victims of the devastating floods in Punjab, and we stand in solidarity with the affected families during these challenging times.
The Chandigarh event is the first in the series of IGPL events, which will run through to December and will be followed by a unique IGPL League, the first of its kind in India.
–IANS
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