The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) is poised to launch a franchise-based league, adding a new dimension to the Indian golf scene. Here's a breakdown of what to expect:

League Details:

• Format: The league will feature a franchise-based, six-team structure played on a home-and-away basis. Each team will consist of 10 players, including both male and female professionals, and potentially some amateur players.
• Inaugural Edition: The first edition of the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) is expected to take place in January. The league will span four weeks.
• Teams and Players: Franchises are expected to be based in major cities like Delhi, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Mumbai. Each franchise will have an "icon" player. Veteran stars such as Shiv Kapur, Gaurav Ghei, and SSP Chawrasia have signed on as icon players and will lead their respective franchises. Other prominent names like Gaganjeet Bhullar, Jeev Milkha Singh, and Jyoti Randhawa are also expected to participate as icon players.
• Player Selection: Players will be selected from a pool comprising golfers from the IGPL Tour, the Indian Golf Union (IGU), and the Women's Golf Association of India (WGAI). A "strategic auction" will be held later this year to pick the players.

IGPL Tour:

• A 10-week tour leading up to the league is scheduled to begin in September.
• The tour will follow a three-day, no-cut stroke play format and offer prize money.

Objectives and Vision:

• Accessibility: The IGPL aims to make golf more accessible to the masses, addressing the perception of it being an elite sport concentrated in metropolitan areas.
• Talent Development: The league intends to promote the next generation of golfers by providing them a platform to compete alongside experienced veterans.
• Image Makeover: The IGPL aims to reinvent the game a little bit and give the sport an image makeover.
• Grassroots Development: The league is keen on developing grassroots golf and hopes to unearth more players.

IGPL as a parallel league:

• The Indian Golf Premier League is seeking to make inroads into the world of men's professional golf by offering a parallel circuit.
• The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) has not taken kindly to this development and has warned its members of disciplinary action if they participate in the IGPL.
• The IGPL is trying to work with the WGAI and the IGU.

The launch of the IGPL signifies a potentially transformative moment for Indian golf. Inspired by the Indian Premier League (IPL), the IGPL hopes to replicate the success of the IPL in cricket by creating a dynamic and engaging platform that benefits players, fans, and the overall ecosystem of the sport.