Jeev to Kapil’s PGTI: Indian golfers should be allowed to play anywhere they want

Indian golfing veteran Jeev Milkha Singh urged the PGTI to allow golfers competing in the Indian Golf Premier League to participate in other events after meeting tour commitments. He said IGPL can provide players a pathway to the Asian Tour and bigger international opportunities

New Delhi: Indian golfing stalwart Jeev Milkha Singh has urged the Kapil Dev-led PGTI to not bar players from participating in the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) as they have every right to earn “good livelihood” and build their game through such events.

The 54-year-old owner of four European Tour and six Asian Tour titles said that while he understands that every Tour has its own set of rules and regulations but once a player fulfils his commitment towards that Tour, he should not be stopped from exploring other avenues.

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The Professional Golf Tour of India has prohibited golfers, who choose to compete in the IGPL, from playing in PGTI events, making it clear that it would not share talent with the league that was co-founded by another World Cup-winning cricket hero Yuvraj Singh.

“You could have two tours or three tours but at the end of the day, it’s a player’s tour. If they are gaining then there should not be any restriction whatsoever. If they can make a good livelihood out of it, nothing like it,” said the affable man from Chandigarh, arguably the greatest Indian golfer of all time.

“…you could have differences, you could feel like, my tour is better than yours, but at the end of the day, if the players are gaining by playing on any tour, it’s fantastic,” Jeev told PTI in an exclusive interview from Tokyo on Wednesday.

While maintaining that there is room for both PGTI tournaments and IGPL to co-exist, Kapil Dev has also made it clear that the players will have to pick a lane and no leniency would be shown towards those who decide to play IGPL.

However, despite the strict public position, Kapil has also urged veteran Gaganjeet Bhullar to reconsider his decision to play in the IGPL.

Jeev said once a player is done doing his duties on PGTI, he should not be held back from plying his trade elsewhere.

“I think every tour has a certain commitment regarding the number of events you’ll have to play. I agree with that also. But if you’re committed to X amount of events as a member then you should be allowed to play other tournaments, which are going to make you a better player and get you a better livelihood,” he emphasised.

Jeev, who is now an active member of the senior tour, cited his own example.

“I play on the Japanese senior tour. I have to play 10 events out of the X amount of events they have in a year. If I’m committed to playing those 10 events, I can go play anywhere else in the world.

“On the European tour, my commitment is a minimum of six events. I can go play anywhere after six events. I play 10 in Japan, but I play 12 in Europe. So, there’s no restriction,” he pointed out.

Pathway to Asian Tour

Jeev said the IGPL, a four-week event which debuted this year featuring 60 players, is a very good pathway from domestic golf to the international stage.

“The relationship between the IGPL and the Asian Tour has become better over the years. They’re giving a few spots to the players to get into the final stage and also giving one spot to the top player so that he can play on the Asian Tour,” he said.

“I think it’s a good pathway for the IGPL players because Asian Tour is a very strong tour where you can develop confidence, build on your game and move on to a bigger tour.

“The good part is that starting next year, the Asian Tour is going to have a lot of co-sanctioned events with the DP World Tour,which gives an opportunity for players when they’re playing a co-sanctioned event involving Asia and the DP World,” he pointed out.

Dream big

The veteran, who at the peak of his prowess finished a remarkable tied 9th in the 2008 PGA Championships, and got invited to and finished a creditable tied 25th at the Augusta Masters the same year, hoped that the next generation of Indian golfers will aim high.

A former world no.28, something that no other Indian managed to even equal, Jeev said the Asian Tour should be seen as a stepping stone for bigger tours.

“After that, (young players should think) I want to play on the biggest tour in the world, which is the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. And from there, after playing on those tours, the goal should be to become a top 50 player in the world.

“You’ve got to dream big. You’ve got to believe in yourself and results count end of the day. And if you can do that, the whole world will be looking at you,” he emphasised.

Title after 13 years 

Jeev won a title for the first time in 13 years when he triumphed at the IGPL Invitational Sri Lanka in December last year. Earlier this month, he secured a fine tied 7th finish at the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship in Glasgow, showing that he still is a force on the golf course.

“…winning there (in Sri Lanka) was something special for me because Sri Lanka has been special. My parents met there many years ago,” he quipped in his inimitable style.