The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) has announced a structured player support programme aimed at clearing the financial hurdles that have long kept Indian professional golfers from competing on global tours. The scheme covers overseas qualifying school expenses of up to ₹3 lakh for its top 30 players from the Order of Merit, with a further ₹10 lakh for each player who successfully earns a tour card.

What the Programme Covers

The financial assistance applies to qualifying schools for three major international circuits — the DP World Tour, the Japan Golf Tour, and the Asian Tour. According to Amandeep Johl, CEO of DP World PGTI, the funding is already in place. 'The DP World PGTI is covering qualifying-school expenses of up to ₹3 lakh for players in the top 30. If they qualify, each player will receive ₹10 lakh. This has already been approved; the players have been informed, and the money has been set aside,' he said.

Johl emphasised that the organisation's core philosophy remains player-centric: 'At DP World PGTI, we have always been clear that this organisation is about the players.'

Rebuilding the International Pathway

The announcement addresses a structural gap that emerged in Indian professional golf over the past several years. Johl noted that the traditional route from the PGTI to the international stage — historically through the Asian Tour — had weakened following changes in the global golf ecosystem. 'The changes in the golf ecosystem over the past few years resulted in the absence of that transition to the Asian Tour, making it harder for the players to move on to the DP World Tour,' he said. With PGTI now realigning with the Asian Tour, a cleaner international pathway is being restored.

The organisation is also working towards hosting Asian Development Tour events in 2027, and potentially Asian Tour events as well, along with more co-sanctioned tournaments offering world-ranking points and a path toward Olympic qualification.

What PGTI President Kapil Dev Said

PGTI president Kapil Dev affirmed the body's commitment to expanding playing opportunities. 'We will do everything in our power to enable our players to get maximum playing opportunities on the international stage,' he said. Dev also highlighted the role of the organisation's new brand partner: 'We are very happy and delighted to have DP World as a partner. For any organisation, bringing in a major partner is important, and this has been a very positive development for Indian golf.'

Broader Development Agenda

Beyond financial assistance, the PGTI is pursuing a wider growth agenda for Indian golf. Plans include improving access to practice facilities, expanding the game's footprint into tier-two and tier-three cities through the NexGen Series, and increasing both prize money and the number of tournaments on the annual calendar. The cumulative effort is intended to create a pipeline — from grassroots discovery to international competition — that has historically been missing in Indian professional golf.

For Indian golfers who spend their weeks travelling and competing at considerable personal cost, the PGTI's message is that institutional backing is now being formalised. Whether the programme translates into a measurable spike in Indian presence on global tours will become clearer as the next round of qualifying schools approaches.