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

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.

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 playing 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. 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 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.