Golf’s ‘72 The League’ auction marks game-changing moment for the sport

The world’s “first-ever player auction” in golf took place in Delhi a few days ago, and with that, ‘72 The League’, a unique initiative, is set to take off on February 21 at three venues in Delhi NCR – Classic Golf & Country Club, Jaypee Greens, and Qutab Golf Course. Being organised by the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), the national governing body, the league will have six teams, each comprising 10 players.

The top money earner was the in-form Honey Baisoya, who was signed by Capital Lancers for Rs 20.5 lakh. It meant that the Delhi-based franchise spent over 20 per cent of their Rs 1 crore purse on the 29-year-old player, who recently won the DP World Players Championship at Delhi’s Qutab Golf Course. All six teams had a purse of Rs 1 crore each.

Just for comparison’s sake, the top money winner in the 18-year history of cricket’s Indian Premier League is Delhi’s Rishabh Pant, who was signed by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for Rs 27 crore at the November 2024 auction. LSG had a purse of Rs 69 crore for that auction, and they spent 39 per cent of that purse on the swashbuckling batsman-cum-wicketkeeper.

However, ‘72 The League’ commissioner Amrit Mathur points out a major difference between the two leagues: golf is an individual sport, while cricket is a team game.

“When you have Rs 1 crore as an auction purse for 10 players, somebody getting 20 per cent is a good value. Beyond that, it is too risky,” Mathur, a former COO of the IPL’s Delhi franchise, told Patriot.

“Moreover, in golf, tennis and other individual sports, you get rewards for your performance. In ‘72 The League’, you are being paid to just turn up; it is not linked to your performance. The rewards are separate. This is game-changing,” he emphasised.

First of its kind

Mathur said that the February 16 auction, held in Delhi, was a transformative moment for golf. “It is because nowhere in the world has an auction taken place, nor has a league like this been held. For that matter, there are many golf leagues in India – about 15 local club leagues – but ‘72 The League’ is professional and official (by the PGTI), and this is the real thing – and all top players are playing in it,” he said.

Another guarantee that ‘72 The League’ has provided to those selected is that they will receive the same amount in the second edition. About 180 people signed up for the six teams. Twelve of the players signed were foreigners.

Mathur is confident that golf will expand with the new league. “The game in today’s commercial world is getting more and more partners. The six people who have bought the teams will soon have their own commercial partners, four or five on average. So, 30 people – be they corporates or individuals or investors – are coming into the economy of golf,” he explained.

Different strokes

The six franchises came with different strategies.

 Indrajit Bhalotia, president of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, doubled up as the strategist for the Kolkata Classics.

“We wanted a Kolkata-centric team, and we bought four Kolkata players. We opted for more experienced players, while the others took players in form. We took four or five Order of Merit winners, right from veteran Mukesh Kumar to Khalin Joshi to Shankar Das. And we got some good match-play players like Mithun Perera and a couple of Kolkata youngsters. It’s a balanced team,” Bhalotia, a former golfer of repute, told Patriot.

Hyderabad-based Charminar Champions, Mumbai Aces, Rajasthan Regals, and Uttar Pradesh Prometheans are the other franchises.