| It's crucial for PGTI to have long-term vision with the riches of new alliance  Gurugram’s Manu Gandas, who has taken over as leader of the PGTI Order of Merit following his fabulous win at the SSP Chawrasia Invitational, presented by Take Solutions, is nicely poised to reap the biggest reward of PGTI’s new deal with the DP World and PGA Tour alliance (Source: PGTI) Last week said so much about Indian golf. It typifies the potential the sport has in the country. It also signified, once again, how sadly neglected it remains by the people at the helm...the people we think are its caretaker, its guardian. Before I start, here are three things that happened last week (apart from Tiger and Charlie Woods wowing the fans at PNC Championship, and of course, Argentina winning the FIFA World Cup!)... 1. In a potentially game-changing move for Indian professional golf, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour alliance signed a multi-year agreement with the PGTI, in which they will support tournaments and provide pathways for Indian players to higher tours. 2. The 121st All-India Amateur Championship was played at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club. I have my reason to be critical of the Indian Golf Union (IGU) once again. But it is a very good reason, and I am going to talk about it in the next newsletter. Please bear with me until then. 3. It was also the week when the PGTI played the inaugural SSP Chawrasia Invitational, presented by Take Solution. An incredible honour for a man who should be counted among the living legends of Indian sports and is perhaps the greatest story of the possibilities that exist in Indian golf. Let’s start with the PGTI’s big news first. Clearly, every golf body must make a choice as we adjust to a new world order where established Tours are being challenged by LIV Golf. Do they remain part of the existing ecosystem, or should they somehow gather the courage and become a part of a disruptive start-up? In this case, the PGTI decided to go the PGA Tour-DP World Tour alliance way, rather than stick with the LIV Golf-backed Asian Tour, which has been its biggest ally ever since it was formed. To be fair, the PGTI Tour is not getting anything from the PGA Tour – not even a couple of spots in the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School. All benefits are limited to the DP World Tour. In the press release that was sent out, it mentions that the No1 non-exempt player on the PGTI secures a card for the next season on the main DP World Tour, the next player gets into the final stage of the Qualifying School, and three players get into the second stage of the Q-School. Apart from this, PGTI will get 60 spots in the two new $300,000 Challenge Tour events that will be played in Bengaluru in March next year. This really is a very standard, bare-minimum deal – nothing stands out. What makes it worthwhile is what is not mentioned in the press release. The PGTI will also be getting a guaranteed cash infusion every year. None of the parties involved will reveal the figures, but from what I am hearing, it is in the range of US$1.5 to US$2 million each year. The cash component is what tilts the balance in DP World-PGA Tour alliance’s favour. The PGTI has done well to create a schedule that it has over the past couple of years despite the COVID-19 lockdown, but they have been heavily dependent on the sponsorship of TATA Steel and a few others who have buttressed individual events. It will be very interesting to see how PGTI’s relationship develops with the Asian Tour from here on. Through its main tour and the Development Tour, the Asian Tour has historically supported a bulk of top Indian stars. Every year, either by qualifying or through the country exemptions, almost 20 Indian professionals ply their trade on that Tour. I asked commissioner Uttam Singh Mundy, and he assured me that no player will be barred by the PGTI from participating in Asian Tour events, including the International Series. That’s a great starting point, but there will be issues in the future. To start with, there is the co-sanctioning of the $600,000 DGC Masters, which is scheduled by the Asian Tour from March 16-19. Prize money of that single event is more than the two Challenge Tour events. Historically, the Asian Tour has always given more than 60 spots to India as the host country for any co-sanctioned event. I will not be surprised if the number of country exemptions offered to India (which was eight at one point of time and is a very good incentive for youngsters) is now withdrawn in the aftermath of PGTI’s decision. The other good thing that has come out of the new deal is that the DP World Tour has agreed to raise the number of spots for PGTI members in the Hero Indian Open to 25. It was becoming an extremely contentious issue with the players as only 15 spots were proposed for PGTI members before the new arrangement was made. How the PGTI uses the cash component of the deal is going to be extremely interesting. The easiest and a short-term plan would be to use it as prize purse for a couple of new tournaments. Mundy and his team will surely have to introduce new events to please the membership and tom-tom it as a big tangible gain. However, a much better way to use a big part of that cash would be to elevate events and market the tournaments, and the PGTI, better. If I make a personal suggestion, it will probably put a smile on Mundy’s face (because I keep nagging him about this). A starting point would be a small but smart investment in a decent SLR camera and lens for the Tour. The current handout pictures for the media are pathetic. Good snaps are vital for their own social media feeds, website, for their post-event reports for sponsors, and also for future marketing efforts. A bigger expense, but a prudent one, would be how to engage with a wider network of sponsors (hospitality/private events hosted by players), and allocate some extra funds towards making the live telecast that the Tour has started over the past couple of years, a better product. Another very important area of investment, especially at a time when the scars from COVID-19 are still fresh, would be a decent medical insurance for all PGTI members and their families. I’d even include the full-time caddies in that plan. Tribute to a living legend Skipping the second point for next week and moving on to the third…about the SSP Chawrasia Invitational.  (Source: PGTI) It’s so good to see one of the unsung heroes of Indian sport finally getting his dues. It’s not just his golf (you can’t get a better CV than being a four-time winner on the DP World Tour) that is inspirational, his entire life is a treasure trove of motivation. I will never forget the first time I got to know SSP. I was the Media Manager of the Indian Tour way back in 1997, when we were in Kolkata for a tournament called the Cynamid Open. A scrawny little local pro shot a decent round on the opening day. The legendary Basad Ali could not stop himself, nudged me, and said in Bengali: “Oi cheletar upore nojor rekho. Durdanto golfer! (Keep an eye on that boy. He is an exceptional golfer).” Growing up while surrounded by poverty, lack of education and rampant use of drugs and alcohol all around him, Chawrasia somehow managed to ward of all these temptations and devoted himself to golf from a very young age. Honestly, I consider that as his biggest life achievement. Hats off to HR Srinivasan of Take Solutions, not just for being his personal sponsor for many years, but also for this unique honour that his company has bestowed on Chawrasia, and Jeev Milkha Singh. I had spoken to Srini a few years ago on why he was letting Jeev have all the limelight when they announced the Jeev Milkha Singh Invitational, and his logic was: “It’s simple. We (Take Solutions) are a nobody in golf. Jeev, on the other hand, is a legend. Everybody knows him, and we thought it would be a great celebration of his career if we name the tournament after him in Chandigarh.” I am sure a similar thought process led to the SSP Chawrasia Invitational as well. On behalf of the Indian golf fans, I’d like to let Srini and his company know that their gesture is massively appreciated. | 
