Kapil Dev announces Trinity Golf Champions League in Pune from tomorrow: ‘This game is so lovely that you’ll stay awake at night

Cricketer Kapil Dev’s four-day Trinity Golf Champions League (TGCL) will begin on Tuesday at the Oxford Golf Resort in Pune. Eight teams will be in the field, each consisting of a mix of professional golfers, amateur club members, and celebrities. Golfers Gaganjeet Bhullari and Ridhima Dilawari, celebrities like Karun Nair and Murali Kartik, and coaches like Gaurab Ghei are participating in the tournament.

The public can visit the golf course to view the players in action during the tournament.

Participants compete in a team-based format with a handicapping system to ensure amateurs can compete effectively alongside professionals. There is no auction for the players, who are drafted by franchise owners according to rules.

The tournament aims to promote golf and create a vibrant golfing community. It is modelled on the Ryder Cup format, where the formats of better ball, alternate shots, and singles match play are put together.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Kapil Dev, who is the tournament’s promoter, said, “Golf is a very individual game and it is a challenge against the course. In cricket, you can make a mistake and still survive and get a boundary. But in golf, if you make a mistake, you can be out of the tournament. That is why this game is so much more focused than any other game… This game is so lovely that you will stay awake at night (thinking about it).”

The eight teams are Vishwasamudra Golden Eagles, Dakshin Rangers, Chandigarh Titans, Golf Code, Mumbai Warriors, Dugasta Titans-Dubai, Maratha Mulligans, and Wave Riders. Each team will include two professional female golfers and one non-golfing celebrity.

Prominent players for each team include Gaganjeet Bhullar, Karandeep Kochar, Ridhima Dilawari, and Sneha Singh for Vishwasamudra Golden Eagles, cricketer Karun Nair for Dakshin Rangers, cricketer Murali Kartik for Dugasta Titans-Dubai, Khalin Joshi and Angad Cheema for Mumbai Warriors, Vidhatri Urs and hockey player Zafar Iqbal for Wave Riders, Kshitij Naved Kaul and Abhinav Lohan for Chandigarh Titans,  Hitashee Bakshi and Sachin Baisoya for Golf Code.