<p>Bengaluru: For all its growth over the last couple of decades, golf still remains an elite sport in the country, centered primarily in and around metro cities. </p>.<p>With access and affordability acting as detriments to take the game to the masses, the recently-launched Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) intends to work towards bridging this gap. At least, the brains behind the first-ever city-based franchise league pledge to do so. </p>.<p>“A decade ago, I was hitting balls in this open field in a small village in Rajasthan,” reminisced Shiv Kapur, seasoned pro and one of the six icon players of IGPL.</p>.<p>“..and the kids looked at me and thought I was an alien. ‘<span class="italic">Ye lohe wali hockey hai kya? Itna lamba chakka maar rahe ho!?’ </span>(Is this an iron-shafted hockey? You are hitting such a big six) were some of their questions. The idea of IGPL is to go across the country and make golf accessible to all,” said the 43-year-old Arjuna Awardee and the three-time Asian Tour winner. </p>.Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur's ton powers Indian women's national cricket team to series win over England.<p>Mirroring Kapur’s sentiments were SSP Chawrasia and Gaurav Ghei - the two other icon players apart from Gaganjeet Bhullar, Jyoti Randhawa and Jeev Milkha Singh - during an online interaction on Thursday.</p>.<p>The four-week event, scheduled in January and February 2026, will see a mix of professional men and women golfers along with top amateurs of the country.</p>.<p>A 10-week tour leading up to the league, with prize money and no-cut three-day stroke play format will begin in September before franchise announcements and a player auction that will be held later this year.</p>.<p>“Golf has got to a stage where people need to reinvent a game a little bit. The sport needs an image makeover,” offered Ghei, the first India to qualify for The Open in 1997. </p>.<p>“New things have to be tried out. The IGPL, with tour league and formats such as the relay (where four players are assigned as driver, fairway, approach and putter) will bring new viewership to the game and engage youngsters,” said the 56-year-old three-time Asian Tour winner. </p>.<p>For Chawrasia, whose life from humble beginnings completely flipped because of golf, is excited about the interest the league will stir.</p>.<p>The Kolkata golfer is keen on developing grassroots through this platform and hopes it will unearth more players such as himself in the future. </p>.<p>Though the sport has grown over the years, the struggle to produce quality players is a concern that Kapur stressed on. </p>.<p>“We haven’t produced a young superstar in a while. Maybe we’re losing those kids to cricket or football. IGPL could change that.”</p>
<p>Bengaluru: For all its growth over the last couple of decades, golf still remains an elite sport in the country, centered primarily in and around metro cities. </p>.<p>With access and affordability acting as detriments to take the game to the masses, the recently-launched Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) intends to work towards bridging this gap. At least, the brains behind the first-ever city-based franchise league pledge to do so. </p>.<p>“A decade ago, I was hitting balls in this open field in a small village in Rajasthan,” reminisced Shiv Kapur, seasoned pro and one of the six icon players of IGPL.</p>.<p>“..and the kids looked at me and thought I was an alien. ‘<span class="italic">Ye lohe wali hockey hai kya? Itna lamba chakka maar rahe ho!?’ </span>(Is this an iron-shafted hockey? You are hitting such a big six) were some of their questions. The idea of IGPL is to go across the country and make golf accessible to all,” said the 43-year-old Arjuna Awardee and the three-time Asian Tour winner. </p>.Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur's ton powers Indian women's national cricket team to series win over England.<p>Mirroring Kapur’s sentiments were SSP Chawrasia and Gaurav Ghei - the two other icon players apart from Gaganjeet Bhullar, Jyoti Randhawa and Jeev Milkha Singh - during an online interaction on Thursday.</p>.<p>The four-week event, scheduled in January and February 2026, will see a mix of professional men and women golfers along with top amateurs of the country.</p>.<p>A 10-week tour leading up to the league, with prize money and no-cut three-day stroke play format will begin in September before franchise announcements and a player auction that will be held later this year.</p>.<p>“Golf has got to a stage where people need to reinvent a game a little bit. The sport needs an image makeover,” offered Ghei, the first India to qualify for The Open in 1997. </p>.<p>“New things have to be tried out. The IGPL, with tour league and formats such as the relay (where four players are assigned as driver, fairway, approach and putter) will bring new viewership to the game and engage youngsters,” said the 56-year-old three-time Asian Tour winner. </p>.<p>For Chawrasia, whose life from humble beginnings completely flipped because of golf, is excited about the interest the league will stir.</p>.<p>The Kolkata golfer is keen on developing grassroots through this platform and hopes it will unearth more players such as himself in the future. </p>.<p>Though the sport has grown over the years, the struggle to produce quality players is a concern that Kapur stressed on. </p>.<p>“We haven’t produced a young superstar in a while. Maybe we’re losing those kids to cricket or football. IGPL could change that.”</p>