New Delhi, February 23 The Indian Golf Premier League announced on Monday a USD 100 million capital commitment from 10 franchise partners across the country, with each investor pledging approximately USD 10 million over a 10-year period, signaling a long-term push to professionalize and expand the sport.
The IGPL staged its inaugural professional tour last year, comprising 11 events played in a 54-hole, mixed-gender, no-cut format with a prize purse of Rs 1.5 crore per tournament. The tour included events in India, Dubai, and Colombo.
The body had announced plans for a city-based franchise league, initially slated for a January-February window, in July last year. While the event did not materialize as scheduled, the IGPL confirmed the franchise ownership details for the upcoming edition on Monday.
The franchise rights have been awarded to Hyderabad (Phoenix), Mumbai (Atri), Kolkata (Flyingman Academy), Delhi (RVR Infra), Chennai (Vimtra Ventures), Visakhapatnam (Green Fuels), Goa (Auro Realty), Bengaluru (GolfKonnekt), Punjab (Krishna Auto), and Gurugram (Honer Homes Consortium).
"This is not a traditional sports investment; it's a strategic platform for business amplification and nation-building through sports," said Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO of IGPL, in a release.
"Our franchise partners come from Pharma, Infrastructure, Real Estate, and Venture Capital, and they see IGPL as a multi-decade opportunity to build a sports culture while leveraging the platform for their core businesses. The USD 100 million commitment reflects their conviction in our vision."
The IGPL said the league format, tournament schedule, and player auction details will be announced in the coming weeks.
Beyond league operations, the franchise partners have collectively committed USD 250 million towards infrastructure development, including plans to build compact eight to 10-acre golf facilities in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and rural areas.
The IGPL also outlined a global expansion roadmap, targeting a presence across India, Africa, and the Middle East in its inaugural year, with plans to operate in five countries within the next three to four years.
"We're not just creating a league; we're building an ecosystem. From village courses to global tournaments, IGPL will make golf accessible, competitive, and commercially viable," Mundy said.
"Our three-continent launch strategy and infrastructure mandate position us as a transformative force in global golf, not just Indian golf."
Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh is a co-founder and brand ambassador of the IGPL, which has the backing of the Sports Ministry, the Indian Golf Union, the Women's Golf Association of India, and the Asian Tour.
Jeev Milkha Singh, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Jyoti Randhawa, Shiv Kapur, SSP Chawrasia, and Gaurav Ghei are associated with the league as mentors, competitors, and ambassadors.
Interestingly, the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) has also launched its inaugural edition of '72 The League' with the first day of play scheduled for Tuesday at the ITC Classic Golf & Country Club in Gurugram.
The league, which will rotate across three premier Delhi-NCR courses, is a fast-paced match-play team format featuring singles, four-ball, and foursomes.