The opportunity to earn millions of dollars by turning professional at a young age has prompted several of India’s top golfers to leave the amateur circuit. To reverse this trend, the Indian Golf Union (IGU), the sport’s governing body in India, has decided to pay amateur golfers $1000 (approximately Rs 82,000) for each tournament in which they compete. Aside from the financial boost, the IGU, which was recently granted annual recognition by the union sports ministry after successfully conducting its long-delayed elections, will develop a national squad of top golfers who will receive regular training at a dedicated golfing centre with cutting-edge equipment and elite support staff. Due to the IGU’s de-recognition by the ministry and its failure to hold the annual general meeting, India has been without a national squad since 2016. (AGM). Maj Gen (retd) Bibhuti Bhushan, director general of the IGU, told media on Thursday that the country is struggling to raise a decent team of golfers for competitions abroad due to them turning professionals in the absence of any monetary and equipment support. The decision to incentivize golfers will take effect after the IGU’s full council meeting here on January 8, he said.