Golf continues to grow from strength to strength in the country
There’s always been a glut of sporting events when it comes to luxury and lifestyle brands’ association. While cricket attracts one and all, golf and polo are two sports which have been supported by luxury brands in a big way. More so golf as it gets corporate support — both big and small — throughout the year. Golf is probably the only sport, apart from cricket, where the sponsorship money has increased in the past one year.
The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) which organises the main events in the country saw the total prize money go up from Rs 5.5 crore to Rs 7.5 crore. And there has been no shortage of sponsors as well. Brands like Aircel, Crompton Greaves, DLF, BILT continue their association with golf events. According to Padamjit Sandhu, director, PGTI, in the last couple of years big money is being pumped into golf. He feels that apart from being an ideal platform for brands, it’s also because Indian golfers have been doing pretty well. “When you see people taking up the sport, you do realise that the sport is headed in the right direction,” he says. PGTI was formed in 2006, and back then the total prize money on offer was about Rs 2 crore. Since then the kitty has swelled considerably, and new names have been added.
Back in the 1990s, when golf had started to attract interest, and players like Ali Sher and P G Sethi had started to make a name for themselves on the greens, the prize money was only a few thousand rupees. Golf was only just shaking off its image of being something industrialists did while talking shop. But now with golfers forming their own association, and talent coming from all over the country, things have changed for the good. Thanks to the efforts of Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa and Shiv Kapur, the sponsors — and upcoming golfers — have found people who aren’t cricketers and yet are heroes in their own right.
Ashit Luthra, president, Indian Golf Union, feels that the inclusion of golf in the 2016 Olympic Games is another reason why golf will become even a better proposition. With young golfers like Gaganjeet Bhullar and Rashid Khan showcasing their talent on the international circuit, things are looking up for the sport. Says Luthra,“There is no doubt that the talent Indians have for golf is outstanding. The Olympic recognition should encourage government and corporate bodies to create more facilities and academies for youngsters to take up the game seriously.”
India is becoming a name to reckon with in this sport, at least in Asia. And the corporate world can see the basic principle of return on investment working pretty well in golf. “They know events get publicity and even international recognition, and it is an ideal platform for them to be associated with,” says former Asian Games medallist Rishi Narain. Though he feels that more needs to be done or countries like China will soon overtake India: “We have to keep working on various aspects of the sport to become a superpower.”
Thanks to the likes of SSP Chowrasia, the tag of golf being an elitist sport has also been shrugged off. Chowrasia rose from a humble background and is now considered among the finest golfers in the country. While a lot of people will argue that corporate interest was always there in the sport, the fact of the matter is that it’s only in the last five years which has elevated golf to being number two in terms of corporate support. “It hasn’t happened overnight for sure,” says Sandhu. “You need to justify the sponsors’ money and that can be done only through spectator interest and the kind of talent we produce,” adds Narain.
While spectator interest is still not enough, golf does manage to get a lot of interest from fans as well as the media. A couple of years ago, people would have struggled to name even three top golfers in the country. Take the example of 21-year-old Bhullar, who says that the likes of Singh and Randhawa have been an inspiration for him. Even Rashid Khan has been earmarked by many as the next big talent to take the golfing world by storm. Things have changed for the better in terms of upcoming talent as well, compared to the last 15 years or so.
Even the players are doing well for themselves in getting individual support. Singh is the brand ambassador for Rolex and has support from other brands such as Jumeriah Estates. BMW’s brand ambassador in the country is Shiv Kapur, while Religare has Randhawa as its ambassador. “A cola or an FMCG brand might not find golfers an attractive proposition but there are plenty of others who do,” says a marketing manager with an FMCG major. Let’s face it, he adds, apart from cricketers, all other athletes come across as a flash in the pan to advertisers and marketers. To a certain extent, golfers have managed to break that myth well.
There was a time last year when Emaar MGF had pulled out as the main sponsor of the Indian Masters, and it looked like golf too would be badly hit by the economic meltdown. But it has managed to stand tall amidst small tremors.
As of now, the grass looks green on all sides for golf. Will it get better? That question remains to be answered. Luthra is upbeat about the sport, and feels that a new era in the sport of golf will dawn in terms of talent and sponsors. And as he puts it, “We will see a quantum leap both in terms of quality as well as quantity.” For the sake of sports living under cricket’s overpowering shadow, that’s an encouraging sign.
