21^st August 2025: The Indian golf ecosystem is set to see a major shift with the introduction of Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL), that will be hosting India’s first-ever professional league tour to feature both men and women playing on the same platform, competing across franchise teams and regional circuits. The integrated format aims to redefine how the sport is being played across India.

To showcase their commitment to promoting inclusive excellence and athlete empowerment, IGPL has also partnered with Women’s Golf Association of India (WGAI) in order to elevate women’s golf and provide structured, high-visibility platforms for female athletes, along with equal pay opportunities.

For WGAI General Secretary Champika Sayal, the conception is an exciting new direction for golf in India and is a win-win situation for everyone.

“One key takeaway from the IGPL is that golf is a very individual game. But at the Olympic level, in 2028, we will see a new mixed doubles format with foursomes and four-ball better ball between men’s and women’s events. Globally, there has been a push to make the sport more fun and creative, with a focus on evolving the game for the younger generation,” she said during a virtual media roundtable.

Meanwhile for the female golfers, the opportunity to earn equal prize money as per their male counterparts with the IGPL along with an opportunity to showcasing their personality and making the sport more accessible, seems like a wonderful opportunity not completely explored before in the country.

“I am super excited about IGPL. It marks a new era for Indian golf, making the sport more visible, fun, aspirational, and accessible. It also opens up more career opportunities in golf,” said Vani Kapoor, who is currently placed on top of the Hero Indian women’s golf tour Order of Merit (OoM), with four title wins so far this year.

“IGPL not only offers women an equal platform to play and earn but also lets us express ourselves and share our stories. The media focus during tournaments will help people connect more with the players,” said Ridhima Dilawari, who is currently second on the Hero Indian women’s golf tour Order of Merit (OoM) Ranking.

From having the Indian cricket legend and golf enthusiast Yuvraj Singh as a co-owner and the brand ambassador, to signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Golf Union (IGU) — the official governing body for men’s amateur golf in India – the IGPL has already made major moves to establish themselves as a premier league competition for men’s, women’s and amateur golf talent. IGPL also has received a nod of support from the Sports Ministry.

Further, to create an overall impact on the ecosystem and to funnel rising talent into the league, IGPL tours will be played across different cities in the build-up to the first edition of the league between September and December.

Speaking on how the WGAI will work alongside IGPL on the workload management of athletes and having sufficient rest time between breaks, Sayal explained how the timeshare concept between the two bodies is working out well for them and the athletes.

“We do not have such a busy calendar, and have been able to have a great timeshare understanding for our athletes with the IGPL. It’s a great win-win situation for everyone, especially the players. IGPL is going to have 8-10 events in the first year, and these competitions will take place at times when the players are already available here in India,” Sayal said.

“We are going to have two weeks dedicated to the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour and two weeks in the month dedicated to the IGPL events. We are encouraging our players to play in the Ladies European Tour and in the IGPL. We want them to grow in such a way that they are fit enough to play in all these tours without any problem,” she said.

On being asked about the number of female golfers participating in IGPL and the selection process, Sayal explained: “From the Hero Order of Merit, the top six players will get in automatically for IGPL and six other players will be invited to play on the tour from any part of the world. It will be 12 women all together. It’s a limited field which makes it more workable.”

Meanwhile, the players are equally excited to be a part of IGPL, while keeping their focus on international events, but keen to find ways to associate themselves with the new franchise-based competition.

“IGPL is very exciting for me. Even if I am tired, I would want to play or else I would have this fear of missing out or FOMO (laughs). While the Ladies European Tour is my priority, IGPL offers equal opportunity and inclusivity, and that is something I definitely would want to be part of,” Vani further added.

“Balancing IGPL with the European Tour will be a challenge, but IGPL offers a unique chance to build our brand and profile. Beyond just playing, it helps market us as professionals, especially with its formats and mixed field,” Ridhima further added.

IGPL also aims to transform the golf ecosystem by paving pathways for mentorship for amateurs by bringing on overseas talent and legends of the sport to give the best possible exposure and guidance for athletes. With a heavy focus on developing athletes at grassroots level and developing a pipeline of athletes, IGPL will also be tying up with various schools and universities in India.