Click to play videoNew Delhi:The Professional Golf Tour of India launched recently by the breakaway faction of the golf professionals in the country is all set to kick off with the Bilt Open on Thursday.
When the Bilt Open tees off it will end months of uncertainty and the action on the Indian golf tour will start with a prize-money of Rs 70 lakh.
The golfers are now hoping it will help them get closer to their goals.
"We started this body and it's been an open invitation. We invited all the players to join. I was asked if I had a choice and I chose to come and we have we have more professional set up," golfer Shiv Kapur says.
But the Professional Golf Association of India and the Indian Golf Union are clearly disappointed.
"Well any one can start a tour. I can't stop that but PGA is recognised by the Government of India through the IGU. So our work will go on. These things will come and go," an official of the PGAI says.
"There seem to be two circuits developing and I really have don't have any problem with more tournaments coming up provided they don't clash with each. The players should have the opportunity to play all the tournaments," another official says.
While the IGU appointed mediator feels that possibility of a parallel tour cannot be ruled out, the Asian tour operator representative feels it is just a passing phase.
"Every country goes through certain process and that is what’s happening in India," the mediator says.
Nevertheless, for the first six events the new body has been able to fix more sponsorship money -- Rs 3.3 crore rupees in total -- than the entire existing tour could muster. Clearly, it is a good beginning.
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