A new fairway for Indian professional golf

Mumbai: The launch of the CIDCO Open 2025 presented by Larsen & Toubro marks a significant moment in the evolution of professional golf in India, not merely as a sporting event but as a statement of intent. Scheduled from December 16 to 19 at the Kharghar Valley Golf Course in Navi Mumbai, the tournament enters the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) calendar with a prize purse of Rs 1 crore, instantly positioning itself among the more consequential domestic events on the circuit. Its timing, scale and location collectively underline a growing ambition to broaden golf’s footprint beyond its traditional enclaves.

At its core, the CIDCO Open is about competitive golf of a high order. A field of 126 professionals will contest the tournament in a four-round stroke-play format, with the cut applied after 36 holes to the top 50 and ties. On a par-72 course designed to international standards, consistency across four days will be the defining test, rewarding not just power but course management, mental resilience and adaptability. Such formats mirror global professional norms, ensuring that Indian players gain exposure to conditions comparable to international tours.

Further Weight

The strength of the field adds further weight to the event’s sporting significance. Leading Indian professionals such as Yuvraj Sandhu, Manu Gandas, Angad Cheema, Arjun Prasad, Khalin Joshi and Om Prakash Chouhan bring with them pedigree, recent form and fan following. Their presence guarantees quality competition and provides a benchmark for younger professionals aspiring to climb the PGTI Order of Merit.

Equally important is the diverse international participation, with golfers from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Europe, the United States and Africa. Players like N Thangaraja, Jamal Hossain and Stepan Danek introduce contrasting playing styles and experiences, enriching the competitive fabric of the tournament.

Deliberate Effort

Beyond the leaderboard, the CIDCO Open reflects a deliberate effort to decentralise elite golf in India. Hosting a PGTI event at the Kharghar Valley Golf Course for the first time signals confidence in newer infrastructure and emerging urban centres. Navi Mumbai, often associated with planned development and infrastructure-led growth, now finds itself on India’s professional golf map. This shift matters because the sustainability of golf as a sport depends on expanding access, audiences and aspirational pathways, rather than confining elite tournaments to a handful of legacy clubs.

The role of institutions in shaping this ecosystem is noteworthy. CIDCO’s position as organiser, with Larsen & Toubro as presenting partner, demonstrates how public-sector vision and private-sector execution can converge around sport. Large-scale sporting events require long-term thinking: course maintenance, logistics, sponsorship stability and player welfare. By anchoring the tournament within a robust institutional framework, the CIDCO Open creates the conditions necessary for continuity rather than one-off spectacle.

For Indian professional golfers, tournaments of this scale serve as critical career platforms. A Rs 1 crore purse not only enhances earning opportunities but also sharpens competitive intensity. Ranking points, visibility to sponsors and confidence gained from performing in strong fields all feed into a player’s progression, including aspirations to qualify for international tours. In that sense, the CIDCO Open functions as both a destination and a stepping stone.

Equally significant is the symbolic value of bringing top-tier golf to the financial capital region. Globally, golf and financial hubs share a symbiotic relationship, with corporate patronage sustaining professional circuits. By embedding a PGTI event in Navi Mumbai, the tournament aligns Indian golf with global sporting geography, potentially attracting new sponsors, corporate amateurs and future investors into the sport.