Golf: Latest developments after PGTI suspends 17 Indian golfers over IGPL involvement
Why has the PGTI enforced suspensions on Indian golfers?
As we have seen with the Indian Premier League in cricket and the Prime Volleyball League, Indian sports are reaching new heights through franchise-based leagues, and the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) is expected to be no different.
The IGPL was co-founded by former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh and will be the first of its kind globally when it makes its debut in 2026. The tournament will feature six teams consisting of 10 players each, and will run over four weeks next year.
In the lead-up to the inaugural edition of the competition, the IGPL hosted an Invitational Tournament at Jaypee Gardens in Greater Noida last month, which Gaganjeet Bhullar won by shooting a six-under 64 in the final round and walked away with ₹22.5 lakh in prize money.
However, the Indian Olympian’s celebrations were cut short after the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) announced that he, as well as 16 other golfers who featured in the IGPL tournament, were suspended due to their participation in the Invitational Tournament at Jaypee Gardens.
According to the PGTI, any player who participates in a tournament outside the tour is subject to suspension, and their five-member Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC) has acted on this by handing out show-cause notices while simultaneously suspending the 17 players who were deemed to have broken the rule.
PGTI faces serious backlash following player suspensions
The PGTI’s decision to suspend the players, which includes the likes of Bhullar, Aman Raj, Harendra Gupta, Karandeep Kochhar and Sachin Baisoya, has sparked widespread outrage from the Indian golfing community, with many feeling that the DAC had overstepped its authority.
Several of the players who were handed sanctions have questioned why they were suspended before a full inquiry was conducted, and it is understood that at least two cases have now been filed against them in the Delhi High Court.
Adding to the controversy, some players have revealed that members of the PGTI and the DAC had participated in a separate tournament held in Pune, which brings the entire credibility of the organisation into question.
The matter is now expected to head to court, where issues such as governance of the sport in India, player rights, and the need for transparent enforcement within Indian golf are expected to be thrashed out and decided upon in the coming weeks.
