New Delhi, February 21 With price tags attached to their names and team loyalties now in place, India’s emerging golfers are bracing for a new kind of pressure in PGTI’s ‘72 The League’, which will kick off on Tuesday.
The inaugural edition was launched with great fanfare on Saturday with the likes of Shaurya Bhattacharya and Kartik Singh in attendance along with seasoned pros Honey Baisoya, Manu Gandas, Ajeetesh Sandhu and Viraj Madappa at the opening ceremony.
The league features six teams of 10 professionals each and will be played in a match-play format comprising singles, four-ball and foursomes contests, formats rarely experienced by Indian pros at home.
For many players, the concept alone has generated excitement.
Honey Baisoya, who is currently leading the PGTI Order of Merit and is coming off a win at the DP World Players Championship at Qutub Golf Course, described the auction as a moment of anticipation and validation.
“We were playing the practice round at Tolly and everyone was looking at Instagram. We saw the stories on Instagram showing how the auction was being held,” Baisoya, the most expensive buy at Rs 20.50 lakh by the Nava Raipur team, said.
“On the morning of the auction, I messaged my friend Veer (Ahlawat) saying that I had a feeling I'd go for Rs 20 lakh. In the end, it turned out exactly like that.”
Baisoya was 13th at the DP World Players Championship at Tollygunge Club, an event where Shaurya Bhattacharya and Manu Gandas were tied second.
“I was pre-selected by the UP Prometheans team and I am really glad to be a part of that team. The feeling behind this week for me is excitement, but at the same time, it would be a very competitive tournament,” said Bhattacharya, who was third on PGTI's Order of Merit in 2025 with two wins.
“The camaraderie within the team and how we would strategise in the team format is really interesting and I'm really looking forward to it,” he said.
For 16-year-old Kartik Singh, part of Mumbai Aces and the youngest player in the field, the league represents both exposure and experimentation.
“This is my first year on the PGTI and I'm very grateful that I've been selected for the league. And I'm also really excited to be playing with the team format,” said Singh, who turned professional last September during the IGPL.
“And it will be really interesting playing the matchplay and the foursome, four-ball styles. It's all a really different format than what we normally play. It will make the game a lot more interesting.”
Viraj Madappa, returning after an 18-month layoff due to a back injury and representing Kolkata Classics, highlighted the emotional shift from individual pursuit to collective responsibility.
“This is the first time for me to be part of a team. Golf is a very individual sport but right now you have nine other guys behind you, have your team strategist, you have a lot of people who you want to do well for.
“As golfers, we always have a dream to play the Ryder Cup format, but the President's Cup is as close as it gets for Indians. Here, we have a format very similar to that and to play for something bigger than ourselves is very exciting,” Madappa said.
The League will also see a fair mix of international talent with 12 overseas players participating in the tournament.
The inaugural edition of the league will be held across courses – ITC Classic Golf & Country Club, Jaypee Greens, and Qutab Golf Course.
The opening day will be played on February 24 at the ITC Classic course.
