The Professional Golf Tour of India’s 2025 season was attended (from left to right) by Rohan Govil of Calance, Indorama’s Vishal Lohia, Tour president Kapil Dev, Chattisgarh deputy chief minister Arun Sao, Rahul Mehta of Victorious Choice and Tour CEO Amandeep Johl in New Delhi on Monday.
By Rahul Banerji
The 2025 Tata Steel Professional Golf Tour of India season will see an action-packed start with a greenfield venue, new events and the launch of a subsidiary tour, it was announced in New Delhi on Monday.
With Rs 15.66 crore on offer for the first 11 tournaments that have been finalised and the prospect of a second DP World (European) Tour event besides the Hero Indian Open very much on the cards as well, the PGTI has promised to set a hectic pace for the new season.
It represents a sizeable increase in prize money on offer in the first half of the season besides the number of tournaments rising from nine to 11 between February and April.
Of great importance to the second rung of players coming through the Qualifying School in Jamshedpur later this month, the PGTI will initially have three events designed to give them tournament time in parallel with the more lucrative restricted field championships.
Q School qualifiers will be in three tiers – the top 35 (and ties) earning A card (full) status, B cards for those making the cut but not finishing in the top 35, and C cards for those missing the cut and ranked in descending order.
Opening salvo
The season gets under way with the Tata Steel PGTI Players Championship from February 11 presented by Kolkata’s Tollygunge Club.
Four new events have been added so far – the Rs 1 crore Chattisgarh Open at Fairway Golf and Lake Resort in New Raipur, the Rs 1.5 crore PGTI Invitational at Jaypee Greens in Greater Noida, the Rs 2 crore Indorama Open at Kalhaar Blues & Greens in Ahmedabad and the Rs 1 crore Calance Open in Delhi NCR.
The 2025 season also sees new sponsors coming on board including the Chattisgarh state government, petro-chem producer Indorama Ventures and tech consultants Calance, and a new tour partner in sports development company Victorious Endeavours with its Victorious Choice brand.
The Rs 2 crore Kapil Dev-Grant Thornton Invitational returns for its third edition with the venue moving to the Prestige Golfshire Club near Bangalore.
For now, the three international events are the co-sanctioned $2.25 million Hero Indian Open and two Challenge Tour tournaments like last year in Kolkata and Delhi, offering $300,000 each as prize money.
The second-tier tour resumes after a gap of five years in the form of three PGTI NexGen events offering Rs 20 lakh each as prize money in the season’s first quarter at Phillaur, Kapurthala and Gurgaon’s Golden Greens.
Busy schedule
Said PGTI president Kapil Dev, “We are extremely excited to announce a busy first half of the season with more events and a higher prize purse on offer for the professionals as compared to previous years.
“This is in line with PGTI’s core objective of creating maximum playing opportunities for our professionals and we thank our new title sponsors and tour partner for all their support and for sharing our vision of growing Indian professional golf.
“We are also looking forward to exploring new territory by taking the tour to Chattisgarh for the first time. The other key development is the launch of the PGTI NexGen events which will help us create an efficient supply line of talent for the future. I wish the players all the best.”
Chattisgarh deputy chief minister Arjun Sao said he was excited at the prospect of professional golf arriving in his state. “I am delighted to support the staging of the first-ever professional golf event in Chhattisgarh in association with the PGTI.
“The inaugural Chhattisgarh Open will play a pivotal role in promoting the state as an attractive golfing destination and placing it firmly on the international golfing map and inspire budding golfers in the state to dream big and aim high.”
Added Indorama executive director Vishal Lohia, “We are proud to partner with the PGTI as title sponsor of the Indorama Open for the next three years.
Supporting golf
“Through this partnership, we aim to support the growth of professional golf in India while creating meaningful connections with the broader golfing community.
New tour partner Victorious Choice owner Rahul Mehta said, “It’s a privilege for us to be associated with the PGTI driven by a leadership team, comprising the legendary Kapil Dev and the dynamic Amandeep Johl, that is eager to set new benchmarks for the sport.
“As a sports development company, Victorious Endeavours takes great pride in this partnership that also associates us with the finest golfing talent in the country.”
Added Amit Govil of Calance, “We are thrilled to sponsor the PGTI’s Calance Open, an event that aligns with our values of excellence, perseverance and community.
“This partnership is a testament to our commitment to promoting sports and wellness, and we are proud to be part of a platform that showcases exceptional golfing talent in India.”
Also read: Double delight for Veer Ahlawat at Tata Steel Tour Championship
Discover more from Tee Time Tales
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.