The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) is on the brink of launching a franchise-based league exclusively for professionals, tour CEO Amandeep Johl disclosed on Saturday. “Yes, we are definitely going to start a league. We’ve got some very good offers, and within the next few weeks, we will sign a deal. It will be the PGTI League – strictly for professionals,” Johl said. Johl elaborated that a franchise league must be centred around elite competition, explaining why the model excludes amateurs. “A league can’t be for amateurs. IPL is for professional cricketers. Football leagues around the world don’t get amateurs to play, they field professionals. People come to watch high-quality sport, and golf is no different,” he stated. The proposed format may include up to 10 franchises, each owning a roster of professional golfers in a team setup, with fixtures spread across several weeks. “People want to come and watch high-class golf. My idea of a league is different from others – while some are doing it for amateurs, I want to do it for hardcore professionals,” Johl asserted. The league is anticipated to feature a one-on-one match-play format to increase spectator interest, inspired by successful models in other sports. “If I’m a franchisee owner, I’ve got four, five, or six players on my team, and they go head-to-head with another team – one-on-one match play,” Johl explained. “Imagine Gaganjeet Bhullar playing Jeev Milkha Singh one-on-one, that’s golf. People will come and watch that. People will say, ‘I’m backing Jeev’ or ‘I’m backing Gaganjeet’. That’s the kind of excitement we want to create,” he concluded. With PTI Inputs