Johannesburg, April 15 (NationPress) India's renowned golfer, Gaganjeet Bhullar, an impressive 11-time Asian Tour champion, is set to face off against last week's victor, Sachin Baisoya, as the AM Green IGPL tournament relocates to South Africa.

This week's competition is hosted at the historic Royal Johannesburg Golf Club, frequently hailed as one of Africa's premier golfing venues. The AM Green IGPL Invitational South Africa represents the second leg of the African series and the third event overall in a lineup of 15 scheduled for the 2026 season.

The competitors will challenge themselves on the Par-72 Royal Johannesburg West Course, a site with a rich history, having previously hosted the National Open of South Africa and the renowned Joburg Open.

Joining the four-time AM Green IGPL Tour champion, Bhullar, who triumphed in the season's opening event in Chandigarh, will be Sachin Baisoya, who recently secured victory in Mauritius. This win alleviated a significant burden for Baisoya, who had frequently finished in close contention without securing the title. His latest achievement marks a highlight in his professional journey, adding to his multiple victories in India.

Other notable players in the mix include the talented 18-year-old Veer Ganapathy, who led for two rounds before finishing second in Mauritius; Karandeep Kochhar, fresh off a Top-5 finish in the International Series in Japan; Aman Raj, a multiple IGPL champion from 2025; and Pukhraj Singh Gill, the 2025 AM Green IGPL Order of Merit winner.

Also participating is Shiv Kapur, a seasoned competitor with multiple Asian Tour victories, who has mixed feelings about South Africa, having been a runner-up at the SA Open in 2010 after a playoff defeat.

Other notable entrants include Olympian Udayan Mane, former Asian Tour champion Chiragh Kumar, the experienced three-time Asian Tour winner Gaurav Ghei, past Indian Open champion C Muniyappa, 2025 AM Green IGPL winner Kapil Kumar, alongside Varun Parikh and Aryan Roopa Anand.

The tournament features a total of 58 players, including 10 women who are part of the Women’s Golf Association of India (WGAI) Tour, with some also competing on the Ladies European Tour.

Among the female competitors are accomplished WGAI circuit winners like Vani Kapoor, Ridhima Dilawari, Vidhatri Urs, and Neha Tripathi. The promising pair of Mannat Brar and Heena Kang will also be in the spotlight.

The field includes six players from South Africa, one of whom is an amateur, Kaiden Chetty, a budding talent recognized for his performances in various junior events in South Africa and at the Junior Dubai Desert Classic.

In the current individual rankings, Mauritius champion Sachin Baisoya leads with Rs. 32,10,000, followed by Chandigarh winner Gaganjeet Bhullar with Rs. 24,96,000, and Veer Ganapathy from GolfKonnekt Bangalore in third with Rs. 17,73,038.

The top female performer last week at IGPL Mauritius was Ridhima Dilawari, finishing in Tied-11th place.

With the formation of ten teams during the AM Green IGPL auction, the race for team supremacy continues at the Royal Johannesburg Golf Club. The quest to determine the leading team in the AM Green IGPL league commenced in Mauritius, with Phoenix Hyderabad currently in the lead, featuring the Mauritius winner Sachin Baisoya, along with Raghav Chugh, Arjun Bhati, and Ranjit Singh.

Trailing closely are Atri Mumbai (comprising Aman Raj, Aadil Bedi, Udayan Mane, and Tushar Pannu), while RVR Delhi (with Shiv Kapur, Gaurav Ghei, Chiragh Kumar, and Aryan Roopa Anand) holds third place.

The winning team at each AM Green IGPL event is determined by the cumulative scores of the two best cards from the four team members each day. The champion team receives 100 points, the second best earns 90 points, and the team finishing third gets 80 points, with points allocated down to the tenth team, which receives 10 points.

The champion team for the 2026 season will be decided based on total points accumulated by the end of the season.