Money in the woods

If it wasn't for the endorsements, cricketers wouldn't command anywhere close to the lucre golfers have been walking off with.

In 2006, Indian cricketers registered their first overseas Test series victory over the West Indies in 35 years; we had our biggest medal tally in the Commonwealth Games; there was commendable progress in sports like shooting and badminton; tennis made us throw back our heads and exult (when we weren't wringing our hands). But it all seemed to pale when compared with the strides Indian golfers were taking on the greens.

If there was one sport in 2006 where Indians actually did the country proud then it was golf. "Golf can match cricket, even overtake it in the next five years," says an optimistic Jeev Milkha Singh.

Two years back, people might have laughed at Singh's blasphemy "" but now they're merely tittering. What if he's right? Considering Singh's achievements in 2006, the money pouring in from all directions, the talent to compete with the world's best, and infrastructure being developed across the country to develop the game further, the going for golf has never been better. What actually has brought the game so much adulation and hype?

For one, golfing has come a long way since its elitist origins, once played almost entirely by army officers or retired bureaucrats.

"Cricket became popular when India won the World Cup in 1983 and youngsters had role models to look up to," says Shiv Kapur, a professional golfer.

Kapur, who forms the terrific trio of Indian golf at the moment with Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa, is ranked 180 in the world. Singh is ranked at 39 while Randhawa is at 91. 
 

MONEY MAKERS
Total money in golf	Rs 40 crore
Total money in tennis	Rs 70 crore
Total money in cricket	Rs 2,000 crore
ODIOUS COMPARISONS
Money earned by cricketers in 2006 (excluding endorsements)
Sachin Tendulkar	Rs 1.2 crore
Rahul Dravid	Rs 1.2 crore
Yuvraj Singh	Rs 90 lakh
Money earned by golfers in 2006
Jeev Milkha Singh	Rs 14 crore
Jyoti Randhawa	Rs 3.5 crore
Shiv Kapur	Rs 1.5 crore
CORPORATE SPENDS
(Including sponsorship and prize money)
BILT	Rs 1 crore
Tata	Rs 1.5 crore
McDowell's	Rs 75 lakh
Hero Honda	Rs 80 lakh
Others	Rs 3 crore

That might seem not to warrant this buzz, but given the money, the upcoming players and the changing mentality towards golf, it's hardly unexpected. If corporates no longer consider it a game where CEOs come together to network, neither do parents think of it merely as an expensive hobby for their children.

On the contrary, parents are encouraging children to take up the sport professionally. Says Singh, "If I can take the game to the masses, hopefully over the next five to 10 years, by playing well, there will be more kids coming out and making golf their profession."

Certainly these golfers have proved that as far as sporting icons go, they are as good a match for the nation's cricketers, if not better. For any sport to catch the nation's eyes, one needs performance and icons "" whether it be football in Brazil or cricket in India. "Hopefully, golf has provided the country a few people who they can look to emulate," says Randhawa.

A lot of that credit goes to the plaudits Indian golfers have brought the country over the last year "" and Singh deserves it more than most. Admits Kapur, "Jeev is an inspiration to upcoming golfers and Indian professional golfers like me."

Jeev Milkha Singh capped a fantastic 2006 in which he earned about $2.5 million, breaking the record for maximum earnings on the Asian Tour. He went on to win the Volvo Masters, the European Tour's season-ending event in Spain in October, and then back-to-back titles in Japan at the Casio World Open (his first triumph in Japan) and the Golf Nippon Series JT Cup.

He also became the third Indian to win the UBS Order of Merit title with record earnings of $591,884. His superb form helped him achieve no fewer than 15 other top-10s on the Asian, Japan and European Tours. He qualified and played in all four rounds at the US Open Masters and was named the Players' Player of the Year.

Kapur, on the other hand, continued a good run in 2006 following his debut two years back. He qualified for his maiden Major at the British Open and finished in the top-20 on six occasions. He picked up his biggest cheque at the Barclays Singapore Open "" $123,000 for finishing in the fifth spot.

The total money he earned was far more than what cricketers earn at the pitch. Off the field, it is still a different story. While Sania Mirza and Mahendra Singh Dhoni might be getting huge endorsement fees due to the glamour associated with their respective sports, it is their on-field achievements that are helping golfers stand apart.

Says Anirban Das Blah, vice president of sports management company Globosport, "These guys have made golf more aspirational." That apart, it is also symbolic of the growing economic status of Indian people, he adds.

Agrees Latika Khaneja, director of Collage Sports Management, "Although golf is still an elite sport in the country, kids can think of emulating beyond just a Sachin Tendulkar or a Sourav Ganguly or Rahul Dravid."

Blah feels that unlike cricket where most money earned by cricketers is on account of inflated endorsement fees, in golf performance alone is responsible for earnings. The year 2007 will prove the richest in terms of money involved in golf. The total prize money on offer for individual winners in 2007 on the Indian tour is close to Rs 6 crore.

In monetary terms, golf is way behind cricket, or for that matter, even tennis. The total money involved in golf could be around Rs 40 crore, with Rs 6 crore coming from sponsorships, another Rs 5 crore from corporate events and Rs 20-25 crore by way of total prize money for all players.

Compare that with the money associated with golf in the last few years. In 2003, the total money on offer was close to Rs 70 lakh. The BILT Open in 2006 alone offered that much by way of prize money. Back in the 1990s when golfer Ali Sher won a domestic tournament, the prize money he got was a few thousand rupees.

Broadcasters too have started taking an interest in golf. Till a few years back sports channels like ESPN or Ten Sports would only telecast the Masters where Indian participation was negligible.

"Now our golfers participating in the premier competitions will see an increase in viewership," says Blah. Channels have been showing the Asian Tour and though golf viewership is minuscule now, there are signs that it could pick up. Zee Sports showcases almost all Indian events.

As for corporate support, golf is second only to cricket. Big ticket sponsors like BILT, McDowell's, Timex and Bharti have been associated with the game for some time now.

McDowell's has been organising the Signature golf tournament and has had celebrity golfers promoting the game. Timex has been a regular supporter of golf events. "It is perfect for lifestyle brands to get associated with golf," feels Salil Sadanandan, vice president, marketing, Timex India. Bharti, for that matter, has started promoting women's golf in a big way too.

Riding on this interest, more courses are mushrooming across the country. There are about 250 golf courses, small and big, in the country. Of these, 8-10 can match up to international standards. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has a public golf course in the capital to encourage the sport, where membership numbers have been rising.

Says Vijay Chowdhry, chief advisor, Silverglades, a company specialising in laying out golf courses, "The demand for designing golf courses has shot up incredibly."

Chowdhry, who helped golf legend Jack Nicklaus in designing the ITC Classic Golf Course, feels that the potential in golf infrastructure is huge, which is why there is a surge of interest in golf courses, golf villas and gated golf communities.

Latika Khaneja disagrees though. "To me, it is just an add-on benefit to capitalise on the real estate boom. One can't expect a developer to offer a cricket field as an add-on benefit when selling houses, so one will see a lot of golf courses mushrooming." Blah, on the other hand, agrees with Chowdhry. "It is the demand that is prompting realtors to develop it."

In fact, golf legend Greg Norman recently expressed an interest in designing courses in the country to develop the sport further. Norman was quoted saying at an event in Dubai that "Normally, golf course designing is a very good barometer of what's happening to the economy, no matter what continent you're on. When people go and build a golf course, they are either doing a residential golf course community or a resort development."

To develop an 18-hole course, about 220 acres of land is required "" and acquiring so much land is one of the major hurdles in India. The cost involved in creating a golf course depends on the location and the kind of facilities one is looking to provide.

For instance, an 18-hole golf course is being developed in Kochi, for which Rs 10 crore has already been sanctioned. But it is not only metros like Delhi or Kolkata that are becoming golfing hubs but even smaller cities like Jaipur, Hyderabad and Mohali that are seeing golf courses being developed.

So how does the future of golf look in the country? Talent wise, it is good. Age doesn't matter too much in the game. Jeev Milkha Singh is 36, Jyoti Randhawa is 35, while the likes of Arjun Atwal, Gaurav Ghei and Mukesh Kumar are also in their 30s. Kapur is the youngest of the lot at 24. But Digraj Singh, director, Tiger Sports Management, who also looks after the amateur tour, says that enough talent is coming through the ranks at the amateur level.

"Names like Gaganjeet Khullar and Ajitesh Sandhu, if nurtured properly, can emulate the likes of Jeev Milkha Singh."

Singh though is of the opinion that golf offers everyone a level playing field, and it is up to the youngsters how they take up the sport. Says Randhawa, "When I started out, no one believed that I could make a career out of golf. But those times have changed. I am sure we will see a lot of Indians doing well internationally."

In any country, at the end of the day it is the players who have helped in developing the sport. Indian golf too saw players swing into action to form their own association, Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), to take matters in their own hands away from Professional Golf Association of India (PGAI). PGTI has promised a rise in the prize money and more events.

Says Amritender Singh, member, PGTI, "We will ensure that the interest in golf is sustained and that players get their dues."

Despite the optimism surrounding the game, any comparisons with the country's national obsession "" cricket "" has few takers. Says Latika Khaneja, "I don't see golf coming close to cricket in the next five years. It is seeing great times currently but might find it tough to sustain in the long run." Blah agrees: "It is the fastest growing sport, but cricket is miles ahead. Football, if developed properly, can challenge its supremacy. "

But those more closely associated with golf are confident of the game continuing to surge ahead.

Says Kapur, "It will grow by leaps and bounds. All the signs are there. We have the talent, infrastructure and money are coming in, and we are currently among the top golf nations in Asia." Randhawa adds: "The platform is there, it is up to us to capitalise on it."

Although the jury is hung on the issue, golf prize money is making golfers richer than their cricketing counterparts and, at the very least, offering competition to the one sport that has been ruling our lives for over two decades now.