Shashi Ruia Memorial Golf Championship: Mumbai to host inaugural edition in January 2027
Synopsis
India's professional golf calendar gets a new marquee event: the Shashi Ruia Memorial Golf Championship, backed by a five-year PGTI–Essar Foundation tie-up, arrives at Mumbai's Willingdon Sports Club in January 2027 with a ₹2 crore purse — one of the larger prizes on the domestic circuit and a rare top-tier golf staging in India's financial capital.
Key Takeaways
PGTI announced the Shashi Ruia Memorial Golf Championship on 23 October 2026 as a new annual tournament.
The inaugural edition runs from 12–15 January 2027 at Willingdon Sports Club, Mumbai , with a Pro-Am on 10 January 2027 .
Prize purse is set at ₹2 crore , one of the larger payouts on the domestic PGTI calendar.
The tournament is backed by a five-year partnership between PGTI and Essar Foundation , running through 2031 .
The championship commemorates the late Shashi Ruia , co-founder of Essar Group .
The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), the official sanctioning body for men's professional golf in India, on Friday, 23 October 2026, announced the launch of the Shashi Ruia Memorial Golf Championship — a new annual tournament on India's professional golf calendar. The inaugural edition will be held at Willingdon Sports Club, Mumbai, from 12–15 January 2027, with a prize purse of ₹2 crore.
About the Championship
The tournament has been established under a five-year partnership between PGTI and Essar Foundation, running annually through 2031. The championship honours the legacy of the late Shashi Ruia, co-founder of Essar Group and a distinguished business leader and entrepreneur. A Pro-Am event is scheduled for 10 January 2027, two days ahead of the main tournament.
What the PGTI President Said
Kapil Dev, President of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), highlighted the significance of bringing the tour to India's financial capital. 'Bringing PGTI to Mumbai, India's financial capital, presents an exciting opportunity to showcase world-class professional golf to a wider audience, strengthen the sport's presence in a key metropolitan centre, and create greater visibility for India's golfing talent,' Dev said. He added that the PGTI looks 'forward to building this championship into a prestigious fixture on the Indian golfing calendar, while commemorating Shri Shashi Ruia's legacy and contributing to the continued growth of professional golf in India.'
CEO Highlights Competitive Platform
Amandeep Johl, CEO of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), said the substantial prize purse would 'raise the bar for competition and create a compelling platform for India's leading professionals and emerging talent to showcase their abilities.' Johl also noted that hosting top-tier professional golf in Mumbai would 'connect the sport with one of the country's most dynamic centres of business and enterprise.'
Why This Matters for Indian Golf
Mumbai has historically been underserved on India's professional golf circuit, with most high-profile tournaments concentrated in Delhi, Bengaluru, and Kolkata. The addition of a ₹2 crore event in the country's financial capital — backed by a five-year commitment — signals a meaningful effort to broaden the sport's footprint. Notably, this is one of the larger prize purses on the domestic PGTI calendar, positioning the Shashi Ruia Memorial as a marquee fixture from its very first edition. The partnership also brings corporate backing from the Essar Foundation, adding institutional stability to the tournament's long-term future.
Point of View
Where sponsorship potential has long outpaced actual event activity. The Essar Foundation's involvement also raises the question of how memorial tournaments evolve: heritage branding tends to attract consistent backing, which is precisely what the PGTI's mid-tier domestic calendar has lacked. The real test will be whether the Pro-Am format draws Mumbai's business community in numbers that translate to sustained corporate interest beyond the Essar family. If it does, the Willingdon Sports Club could become a reliable anchor fixture — something Indian golf's domestic circuit badly needs.
NationPress
23 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Shashi Ruia Memorial Golf Championship?
It is a new annual professional golf tournament on the PGTI calendar, established to honour the legacy of the late Shashi Ruia, co-founder of Essar Group. The inaugural edition will be held at Willingdon Sports Club in Mumbai from 12–15 January 2027, with a prize purse of ₹2 crore.
When and where will the inaugural Shashi Ruia Memorial Golf Championship be held?
The first edition will take place at Willingdon Sports Club, Mumbai, from 12–15 January 2027. A Pro-Am event is also scheduled for 10 January 2027, ahead of the main tournament.
Who is organising the Shashi Ruia Memorial Golf Championship?
The tournament is organised by the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) under a five-year partnership with Essar Foundation, running annually through 2031.
What is the prize purse for the Shashi Ruia Memorial Golf Championship?
The championship carries a prize purse of ₹2 crore, positioning it among the larger payouts on India's domestic professional golf circuit.
Who was Shashi Ruia?
Shashi Ruia was a distinguished business leader, entrepreneur, and co-founder of the Essar Group, one of India's major diversified conglomerates. The championship has been launched in his memory by the Essar Foundation in partnership with PGTI.
