IPGA needs a better planned calender

JANUARY 22: The Indian Professional Golfers Association IPGA has promoted Indian golf well, thereby improving its standard. This is wher...

JANUARY 22: The Indian Professional Golfers Association IPGA has promoted Indian golf well, thereby improving its standard. This is where European tour professional Jeev Milkha Singh started his career. Today, he not only represents the nation, but is a big star on the Asian tour as well.

But the IPGA first needs to stabilise itself. It needs to acquire more prominent sponsors, make the tour more viable. This will attract better professionals from around the world and give locals an incentive rather than loosing them to the APGA and other tours. In order to provide enough tournaments for the pros, organisers have to be content with the dates the sponsors dish out. This has resulted in an official calendar that has players travelling from Poona to Noida, back to Patna. This Bharat Darshan8217; as some call it, is also tough on their pockets.

A more intelligent option would be for competitors to make it to a region, spend a number of weeks playing events on courses in and around the area and then move on to the next region.

Scheduling single events also decreases the number of participants. The field is often minus APGA tour players when events clash. Often, it is further reduced because some of them do not feel the need to travel miles for a five or six-lakh event.

Comparatively, running events region by region would ensure maximum participation even for smaller events. Once players are in an area, most would rather stick around for the entire tour to make it worth their while which will benefit the tour and its sponsors as well.

LAST WEEK8217;S RESULTS
PGA: Sony Open. Winner: Paul Azinger
IPGA: ONGC NGC Open. Winner: Jyoti Randhawa won in playoff from Mukesh Kumar
EPGA: Alfred Dunhill Championship. Winner: Anthony Wall. Indians: Jeev M Singh tied 10th
Indian ladies Tour: West Bengal Amateur Golf Championship. Winner: Anjali Chopra.

COMING UP January 24-30
PGA: Phoenix Open
Senior PGA tour: Senior Skins Game
European Tour: Hieneken Classic
APGA Tour: Qualifying school 8211; third stage
South African Tour: Vodacom Players Championship
LPGA Tour: No event scheduled
LPGA European tour: No event scheduled
GOLFER OF THE WEEK: Anjali Chopra

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After a somewhat bleak season, the tiny bundle of abundant talent, Anjali won the ladies West Bengal Amateur Golf Championship after leading from Day One.