CHENNAI: ‘A golf tour of the players, by the players, for the players’.
This was by and large the motto when the Professional Golf Tour of India was formed in 2006. Dissatisfied by returns from events organised by the Professional Golf Association of India, the players decided to launch their own tour, run by professionals they hired, way before the Supreme Court or National Sports Code thought of laying down administrative guidelines for sports bodies.
Competitive and professional golf had existed in India for decades before that, with an annual average of over 30 tournaments. The idea behind PGTI was on the lines of the practice worldwide — to make players stakeholders, rather than just participants fighting for prize money, of which a part went to the company marketing the tour. It was a breakaway move into a world they had little knowledge of.
After 10 years with an annual average of 20-odd events, through the tremors of global economic meltdown and sponsorship for sports shrinking, the PGTI has made slow but steady progress. Annual prize money has crossed `10 crore this year after being over 8 in the last few, the calendar has a regular look with footprints in the Northeast apart from Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Events draw over 100 participants, who travel and stay at their own cost.
Not offering world rankings other than in two events sanctioned by the Asian Tour, PGTI is meant to be a ‘complete professional experience’ in domestic confines for those who want to graduate to higher levels. Anirban Lahiri, SSP Chawrasia and most of about 15 more Indians playing on international tours are beneficiaries. Some also make a living out of this calendar, which has offered the top 30 a minimum of `7.5 lakh over the last five years. If you consider that close to 60% are caddies turned pros, such amounts might appear more meaningful.
“The idea was to have a tour of our own with a sizeable number of events. It hasn’t been a smooth ride because of the economic ups and downs. But it seems we’ve braved all that, and this has been a big year,” PGTI director Uttam Singh Mundy told SS. The former pro, employed by the body along with about 15 others who occupy an office in Gurgaon, aims higher. “We’d like 30 events every year with a larger prize fund. So there’s work to be done.” Mundy is happy to note that the PGTI is recognised by the International Federation of Professional Golf Tours and International Golf Federation.
Marketing sports events in India must have been among the toughest of challenges for professionals specialising in this, before disciplines remodelled themselves in the IPL mould to draw new TV audiences. The PGTI has 30-minute capsules after tournaments on TEN, but it’s the traditional variety, unlike the fast and trendy versions of cricket, football or kabaddi. So it has to rely on the conventional appeal of the game, along with its history of bonding with the rich and influential. Despite changes internal and external, the PGTI has sustained itself. It has four regular sponsors and most of the events are sponsored by different companies.
“Golf caters to a specific clientele. Most golf courses have members from a niche background. We give sponsors a platform to connect with the audience. We ensure their visibility in all tournaments, capsules of which are seen on TV. We try to package it in an appropriate way. Although there has been a rise this year, we’re still in the process of getting bigger,” said Vikas Singh, PGTI’s marketing head.
Travel has become a talking point in domestic cricket following the move to have matches at neutral venues. The PGTI events are spread over different cities, which means a caravan of 100-plus players and about a dozen officials crisscrossing the country almost every week. In each venue, local officials and members of the golf club staff get involved in conducting the events, which haven’t experienced major controversies. Scores are updated live and can be tracked on the organisation’s website.
“The most noticeable change in the PGTI era is things are more structured,” felt Digvijay Singh, who started in the times of PGAI. The elder brother of actor Chitrangada Singh added this is the outcome of a conscious effort. “If there’s a dispute over where the ball landed or where to play from, you’ll see three referees rushing to the spot. We’ve taken a cue from the Asian and European Tours to implement these things. This tour offers the experience a player needs to improve.”
Although the plan is to be a breeding ground for more lucrative tours, the fact that several have started relying on it instead of venturing abroad shows the impact PGTI has made in a decade of existence.