Mumbai: With a view to enhance the popularity of the game, the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) has launched the $250,000 Louis Philippe Cup (LP Cup), that will be played between eight city-based teams of the country at the Karnataka Golf Association course in Bangalore next year.
However, unlike the IPL in cricket, the LP Cup (beginning on March 5 next year) will not be a franchise-based event and will also not move from city to city.
Cities competing in the richest domestic event on the PGTI Tour will be Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Gurgaon and Lucknow. The cities were selected based on the rankings of their top two players.
Anirban Lahiri will spearhead Bangalore's challenge. Gurgaon's Jyoti Randhawa, latest Indian sensation Himmat Rai, also of Gurgaon, two-time European Tour winner SSP Chowrasia of Kolkata, Asian Games gold medallist Shiv Kapur of Delhi and Chandigarh's Gaganjeet Bhullar are some of the big names who have confirmed their participation in the five-day event.
Each team will consist of three professionals. "Each of the teams will have two players who are in the top16 of the Order of Merit on the PGTI Tour and the teams will have the option of picking a third player who need not have to be in the top 16 in the OOM," said Padamjit Sandhu, director of PGTI. "We looked at that option because a few of the top players do not play much in India," he added.
The interesting element that was included in the championship was each of the teams on the first two days would have three top amateurs of the city as their partners for the Pro-Am format. "The three amateurs will be picked by the clubs in each of the cities through trial rounds," Sandhu said.
The traditional Celebrity Pro-Am will precede the main event. The 24 pros will then play a two-day strokeplay event and the gross scores will help them qualify for the knockout stage.
The top four will qualify for the two-day knockout stage (semis and final), to be played on matchplay format, with the winner taking home a purse of Rs 36 lakh.
FAST FACTS
Total no of teams: 8
Teams in fray: Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Gurgaon, Lucknow, Chandigarh
Number of players in each team: Three professionals, three amateurs for the Pro-Am only Total prize money: $250,000 (Rs 1.14 crore)
Prize money break-up : Rs 36 lakh for winning team; Rs 24 lakh for 2nd place; Rs 18 lakh for 3rd place; Rs 12 lakh for 4th place; Rs 6 lakh each for 5-8 place finishers.
TOI
