India Legends Championship Set to Usher in New Era for Indian Golf

The India Legends Championship is set to debut with 10 renowned Indian golfers including Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa. Co-sanctioned with the Professional Golf Tour of India, the event will feature a $500,000 prize and will take place at Jaypee Greens Golf Course, Greater Noida, from August 30 to September 1.

A new era in Indian golf will see the launch of the India Legends Championship, where 10 Indian golfers, including Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa, have confirmed their participation at the inaugural event. The other confirmed Indian names for the India Legends Championship are Mukesh Kumar, Digvijay Singh, Harmeet Kahlon, and Vijay Kumar, who are all past winners on the Asian Tour.

Besides them, the other Indians are Amandeep Johl, who came close to winning on the Asian Tour numerous times, Vishal Singh and Sri Lankan Anura Rohana, who has won multiple times on India's domestic Tour PGTI. The path-breaking event in India, which is co-sanctioned with the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), will be played over 54 holes at the pristine Jaypee Greens Golf Course in Greater Noida and will carry a whopping purse of USD 500,000. The tournament is appropriately being hosted by the Indian golfing legend, Jeev Milkha Singh.

Talking about the event that will open up a new career for senior Indian golfers, Jeev Milkha Singh said, 'I am really excited to have the first senior tour event, especially a Legends Tour event in India, with all the top names coming and playing in India. For me, playing in front of my home crowd, I think it's a treat for me and also hopefully for the fans out there.' 'Jeev and I turned 50 a couple of years ago, and playing on the Legends Tour and now having one event at home, is great for us. The event happening on Indian soil does give us a little impetus to play better. People rooting for you makes you focus harder, play better,' said Jyoti Randhawa, who qualified for the full Legends Tour in 2024 by winning the Qualifying School in Turkey.

The HSBC India Legends Championship will be held from August 30 to September 1 over three rounds and will be preceded on August 28 and August 29 by high-profile Pro-Ams, which will see star golfers come together with some of the well-known amateurs at the Greg Norman-designed Jaypee Greens Golf Course. Jeev Milkha Singh (twice in 2006 and 2008) and Jyoti Randhawa (once in 2002) have been Asia No. 1 in the past and won multiple times on the Asian Tour. Jeev has also won four times each on the European and Japan Tours and once on the Korean Tour, besides six times on the Asian Tour.

Randhawa has won eight times on the Asian Tour and once in Japan. Jeev, who has played all four Majors and was the first Indian to tee up at the Masters at the Augusta National in 2007, has won more than 20 titles worldwide. They include four on the high-profile European Tour, four others on the Japan Tour and six more on the Asian Tour. His list of achievements includes a T-9 at a major, the PGA Championship in 2008.

Winner of one of India's highest civilian awards for sportspersons, the Padma Shri in 2007, Jeev was also bestowed the Arjuna Award in 1999. He played the Seniors Open in 2022, his first year as a senior. In 2023, Jeev achieved a superb T-14 finish amidst heavy winds and rain in Wales. He was T-45 this year at Carnoustie. In 2022, his first year on the Legends Tour, he had one Top-10 at the Winston Golf Senior Open in Germany.

In 2023, he had four Top-10 finishes - at the JCB Championship (Tied-5th), the Legends Tour Trophy hosted by Simon Khan (T-7), Staysure PGA Seniors Championship (T-5) and Vinpearl DDIC Vietnam Legends 2023 (T-7) and finished 13th on the MCB Road to Mauritius Rankings. In 2024, his best result was T-8 at OFX Irish Legends and is currently 27th on the MCB Road to Mauritius Rankings and Randhawa, whose best result this year has been T-7 Swiss Seniors Open, is currently 28th. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)