New Delhi [India], September 4 (ANI): The Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) is poised to revolutionise the country's golfing landscape with the official launch of the IGPL Tour, a pioneering professional circuit that will feature both men and women competing on the same platform. Indian Cricket legend Yuvraj Singh officially launched the inaugural IGPL Tour here on Thursday.

Launching the IGPL Tour, which will begin from September 10 in Chandigarh, IGPL Co-Founder Yuvraj Singh said, 'A golfer's life is not easy. When you are going to tournaments, you have to make the cut to earn money and pay the bills. IGPL is providing a format for the younger generation coming on board, so you do not have to worry about financial constraints. The work being done on the grassroots level is quite important. You can compare IGPL to IPL, and it can change the dynamics in golf like IPL did with cricket.

'It is a full IGPL tour, and then it will be followed by fast-paced IGPL League with both men and women playing together. I think the equality in the sport is very important. I hope it will change the face of Golf in India. A lot of efforts have been taken by stakeholders behind the scenes to grow the sport. I hope to see our players win medals at the Olympics,' he added.

According to an IGPL release, the event at the Hyatt Regency in New Delhi was graced by Chief Executive Officer, IGPL Uttam Singh Mundy, along with Tour Commissioner/CEO, Asian Tour, Cho Minn Thant, General Secretary, Women's Golf Association of India (WGAI) Champika Sayal, President, Professional Golfers' Association of India (PGAI) Romit Bose, Indian Asian Games gold medalist and IGPL Icon Player Shiv Kapur and Indian golfer and IGPL Icon Player SSP Chawrasia.

Along with the launch of the tour, IGPL also announced a key partnership with the Asian Tour, the official sanctioning body for professional golf in the region, allowing IGPL players to compete alongside the top Asian players at the Asian Tour event in India in November at Kensville Golf and Country Club.

Speaking on the partnership, IGPL CEO Mundy said, 'I am elated to announce that Asian Tour has agreed to accommodate our interest for this event this year. Because it's always a tight schedule as far as dates are concerned. The pathway for a domestic tour is very important as a professional golfer. You are always looking to graduate from a domestic tour to a higher tour, and this could be a pathway. We have a pathway for our IGPL players. This is just the start, and it will only get better.'

Tour Commissioner/CEO, Asian Tour, Cho Minn Thant further added, 'I see a lot of similarities between the Asian Tour and the IGPL Tour. The tour is spreading across multiple cities, and it will also go to Sri Lanka and the UAE. It is great to have a tour and the innovation that IGPL will bring to the sport. It will not be confined to the traditional rules of the sport. We are delighted to join hands with the IGPL in this endeavour.'

IGPL Tour 2025 Schedule:-Chandigarh: Sep 10 - Sep 12, Chandigarh Golf Club-Greater Noida: Sep 17 - Sep 19, Jaypee Greens Golf Course-Pune: Oct 1 - Oct 3, The Poona Club Ltd. Golf Course-Hyderabad: Oct 24 - Oct 26, Golf Course - TBA-Kolkata: Oct 29 - Oct 31, Tollygunge Club-Jamshedpur: Nov 5 - Nov 7, Beldih Golf Course-Mumbai: Nov 18 - Nov 20, Bombay Presidency Golf Club-IGPL & Asian Tour Joint Sanctioned: Nov 27 - Nov 30, Kensville Golf Resort-Ahmedabad: Dec 2 - Dec 4, Golf Course, TBA-UAE: Dec 8 - Dec 11, Golf Course TBA-Sri Lanka: Dec 23 - Dec 25, Royal Colombo Golf Club

The IGPL Tour is designed to be a game-changer for the sport in India, with its core mission of promoting inclusive excellence and athlete empowerment. The integrated format, a first for professional golf in the country, reflects IGPL's commitment to providing a structured and high-visibility platform for both male and female athletes.

In a move to strengthen the foundation of Indian golf and nurture emerging talent, IGPL has forged key partnerships with the Indian Golf Union (IGU) as an umbrella partner. IGPL is committed to building a sustainable pathway for India's Olympic golf aspirations and has therefore formed a partnership with WGAI to elevate women's golf and provide female athletes with the platforms and exposure they deserve.

The IGPL is also focused on developing grassroots talent through collaborations with schools and universities, with the support of the Indian Golf Union.

Bharat Golf Premier League, backing the IGPL, also announced the launch of the IGPL Player Equity Pool. The startups will give equity to BGPL and players who are part of the IGPL ecosystem will get a share. IGPL are also signing MoUs with top global VCs and incubators to bring only the best startups into this program.

IGPL Chairman, board members and governing counsel will be announced in November, the release said. (ANI)