Golf is all set to turn shorter and snazzier as the Twenty20 version of the sport is set to make its debut with the $400,000 Golf Premier League, scheduled to be held at the picturesque Amby Valley from February 8 to 10.
A brainchild of golfer Shiv Kapur, the GPL will have 32 players, comprising four Major champions and a host of European, Asian and India stars, and eight franchises, with each team having four players each.
There are four category of golfers taking part in the franchise-based competition namely international star, international Indian star, Asian tour star and a PGTI star.
Five franchises have been finalised so far -- Delhi Darts, Gujarat Underdawgs, Colombo Sixers, Shubhkamna Eagles and Tamil Nadu Pulis. Colombo Sixers is owned by Sri Lankan cricketer Mahela Jayawardene, also a keen golfer.
The event, co-founded by Neeraj Saran -- a former amateur golfer, will be played on a stroke-play-cum-best-ball format over three days with approximately three hours of play each day and it will be telecasted live on television on prime time.
“I have been a big fan of the IPL and so I decided to try something similar in golf. So the format has been influenced from different club competitions like NFL, NBA and IPL. It is a unique concept and will be an annual affair. We are starting with a three-year contract,” Kapur told reporters here.
“IPL made cricket sexy and cool and we are trying something similar in golf. With 30-second time slot to hit a ball, it will make golf more faster. It is also unique as it will have day/night rounds of strokeplay, which is a first in professional golf in Asia. We have also reduced the number of holes from 18 to 14,” he added.
Explaining the format further, Kapur said: “Each team will have one player drawn from each pool of Internationals, Indian internationals, Asian tour stars and PGTI stars. There will a cap of $150,000 for each franchise and the auction will be held soon. The winners cheque will be $250,000.”
The top eight available stars from the PGTI Order of Merit, as at the end of the 2012 season, will be eligible. Also confirming their participation are Australian Scott Hend, winner of the ‘Long Drive’ statistic on PGA Tour in 2005, and two-time Asian Tour winner, Jason Knutzon.
List of participants: International legends: Angel Cabrera (US Open, 2007 and Masters, 2009 champions), Darren Clarke (British Open, 2011), Michael Campbell (US Open, 2005), Rich Beem (PGA Championships, 2002), Johan Edfors (a multiple winner on European Tour) and David Howell (winner of the inaugural WGC-HSBC Champions).
International Indians: Gaganjeet Bhullar (four-time Asian Tour winner), Shiv Kapur (former Volvo Masters of Asia champion), Daniel Chopra (two-time PGA Tour winner), Anirban Lahiri and Himmat Rai (Asian Tour winners) and Chiragh Kumar (PGTI Order of Merit 2011 winner).
Asian Superstars: Thaworn Wiratchant (2012 winner of the Asian Tour Order of Merit and holder of the record for most Asian Tour titles) and Chapchai Nirat (holds the world record for the lowest four-round total of 32-under recorded in India a few years ago).
Indian Stars: The top PGTI professionals, who have been confirmed include Shamim Khan and Rashid Khan, the No 1 and from the PGTI Order of Merit for 2012, besides three-time Asian Tour winner, the seasoned Gaurav Ghei, former PGTI Tour Order of Merit winner Ashok Kumar and Sri Lanka’s Mithun Perera (multiple winner on PGTI Tour).