šļøāāļøImportant for Indian professional golf to sustain the excitement of its new 72 The League
A new professionals-only League has created a massive buzz among the players. Now, itās up to the organisers to make sure they sustain the interest and take it to the right valuationā¦
The excitement and enthusiasm, especially among the PGTI professional golfers associated with the new 72 The League, is so palpable that you can almost touch it if you reach out.
I guess thatās what happens when there is any change from the ordinary routine.
Over the last three-four years, leagues have suddenly become a rage across the country. Almost every club has one of its own for its members. Suddenly, a sport that revels in being a very lonely pursuit of excellence has discovered the joys of brotherhood, team bonding and shared experiences.
72 The League is also the PGTIās response to the challenge of the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL), the new League that has threatened to tear the fabric of professional golf by enticing several players and form a rival Tour.
Here are my thoughts on IGPL, and now 72 The League. I have always welcomed when something new happens to the sport. It tells us that the sport has life, and it is still in a growing phase.
Just as I have said in the past that the IGPL Tour has been fantastic for women professionals and IGU amateurs, I think 72 The League is fantastic for the professionals.
The No1 reason for that is that it brings additional money to their pockets.
Even if they make around INR15 lakh for these two weeks ā and many would end up making much more ā it is an extra amount that goes a long way in their careers.
Amardeep Malik, a PGTI Board member, gave a perfect reasoning. āThis is PGTIās way of ensuring that professional golfers have money to invest in themselves. If they have this money, it would help them feel more secure if they are trying to take the Challenge Tour, or the Asian Development Tour (development tours in Europe and Asia) routes in their careers. Financial insecurities have stopped many players from taking the tougher road.ā
Then, there is the fact that in a schedule that only has strokeplay events, the League not just introduces team golf, but also match play format, which has been missing in Indian golf for nearly two decades now. So much so, that it was evident during playersā briefings that many of them were not aware of the latest match play rules, and how so many things need to be done differently. Like, a player need not submit his scorecard, or even fill it, as long as he declares the scores after every hole.
But here is my No1 reason why this League is good for Indian golf. Team competitions help form life-long friendships.
American Jhared Hack, who has taken Indian golf by storm this season by first winning his qualifying school event, and then shooting a 59 and immediately winning his first professional title, summed it up beautifully: āFor someone like me, coming from a foreign country for the first time to a new place, it is a great opportunity to build bonds and friendship that we will all cherish for years to come.ā
Things have changed in the PGTI from a couple of years ago, when the No1 objective of the Tour was only to make sure there were enough events on the schedule to make the membership happy. There was very little effort to sell golf ā to the corporate world, or to the public. 72 The League is a product where there is a push. Starting from slick social media updates to smart branding and marketing efforts, this could form the template for the way events on the main tour look in the future.
If youāre a football fan, you might enjoy Dhiman Sarkarās weekly read Kick Off:
This is a product that has plenty of āsellableā features. The team franchise concept has the potential of immense growth. There are plenty of value propositions in it for the PGTI, and Game of Life, the company that is executing it, to sell it in the market.
And letās also not forget that the League gave PGTI a platform to invite ICC chair Jay Shah as the guest of honour for the opening ceremony, and how he promised all possible help to Indian golf through the BCCI and ICC. Of course, PGTI chairman Kapil Dev had the biggest role in inviting Shah, but I am not sure if he would have been in such a magnanimous mood if not for the number of people who turned up at the party and cheered his presence.
Clearly, a lot of things could have been done better in the inaugural year, but letās give them the benefit of the doubt in the first year. The first time is always a learning experience.
We will reserve any verdict on whether a team league championship can change the face of Indian golf. However, there is no denying the fact that 72 The League has managed to create a new buzz. We will have to wait and watch how this momentum can now be sustained, and amplified.
(Disclosure: Joy Chakravarty is involved with 72 The League as a media consultant)
THE WEEK THAT WAS
PGA TOUR:
Tournament: Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches
Winner: Nico Echavarria (COL)
Winning scores: 63-72-66-66 (17-under)
Prize purse/winning cheque: $9.6 million/$1.728 million
Indian scores: No Indian in the field
Next event: Arnold Palmer Invitational/Puerto Rico Open
LIV GOLF:
Tournament: No event last week
Next event: LIV Golf Hong Kong
DP WORLD TOUR:
Tournament: Investec South African Open
Winner: Casey Jarvis (RSA)
Winning scores: 67-68-64-67 (14-under)
Prize purse/winning cheque: $1.5 million/$240,000
Indian scores: None in the world
Next event:
LPGA:
Tournament: HSBC Womenās World Championship
Winner: Hannah Green (AUS)
Winning scores: 71-66-68-69 (14-under)
Prize purse/winning cheque: $3 million/$460,000
Indian scores: None in the field
Next event: Blue Bay LPGA
ASIAN TOUR:
Tournament: 105th New Zealand Open presented by Milbrook Resorts
Winner: Daniel Hillier (NZL)
Winning scores: 67-66-63-68 (23-under)
Prize purse/winning cheque: $1.2 million/$195,800
Indian scores: Karandeep Kochhar T61st (67-67-70-79); Shiv Kapur MC (77-69)
Next event: International Series Japan
KORN FERRY TOUR:
Tournament: 119 Visa Argentina Open
Winner: Alistair Docherty (USA)
Winning scores: 63-66-64-65 (22-under)
Prize purse/winning cheque: $1 million/$180,000
Indian scores: Rayhan Thomas T25th (67-64-68-70)
Next event: Astara Chile Classic
LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR:
Tournament: No event last week
Next event: Ford Womenās NSW Open
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT TOUR:
Tournament: No event last week
Next event: Nam A Bank Vietnam Masters
PGTI TOUR:
Tournament: No event last week
Next event: Indorama Open Golf Championship