The split in the Indian Tour is on its way towards being mended with PGAI and the new body, PGTI, in agreement to join forces again
The split in the Indian Tour is on its way towards being mended with PGAI and the new body, PGTI, in agreement to join forces again
NEW DELHI: In the bunker after the split in October, Indian golf is finally looking at the greens. And we’re not just talking about Jyoti Randhawa’s sparkling performance in Shanghai. The reconciliation between the Professional Golfers Tour of India (PGTI) and Professional Golfers Association of India (PGAI) has gained momentum over the last few days and former Indian Order of Merit Winner Ashok Kumar admitted to DNA on Friday that a “merger is on the cards soon”.
He said that all the major issues were taken up in a meeting between the two bodies on Thursday and promised that “there will be a result in the next 10 days”. The news should bring huge relief to the fans and sponsors who were suffering due to the infighting, apparently between the golfers and the marketing company — Tiger Sports Marketing — but ended in a split among the golfers themselves in October.
Ashok, who is a board member of the PGAI, said: “We discussed the issue with PGTI president Gautam Thapar yesterday and both the sides feel that it is important to keep the golfers united under one umbrella - the PGAI - and now on the golfers will run the Indian Tour and not a marketing company (read Tiger Sports Marketing).”
He also said that Thapar was likely to become the president of the new PGAI. “It is almost 99 percent certain that he (Thapar) will head it. He has brought close to Rs 6 crore into the PGTI Tour in a short span and, in three years, he has plans to increase the prize money for the Indian Tour (which is currently Rs 3 cr) to Rs 15 crore.”
Another contentious issue - Rs 12,500 as registration fee - is being looked into, said Ashok. A vast majority of caddies who had taken to playing on the Indian Tour could not raise the money but the former India No.1 now said that Thapar has promised to solve the matter, case by case.
Ashok said that he has been given an assurance that “help will be given to those who are actively playing on the Indian Tour and have a genuine problem”.
A merger on the cards
PGTI and PGAI held talks on Thursday with TSM out of the scene
Most PGAI golfers have also backed out from TSM’s tournament in Shillong from Nov 14. The tournament carried Rs 20 lakh in prize money
The compromise formula likely: PGAI may be retained as the parent body though it will have PGTI’s management style with Thapar likely to head it
PGAI had a board meeting on Friday and a letter has been sent to TSM to inform them officially that the contract has been terminated
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