Shaky tee start

The Indian Open is set to take place

When Jyoti Randhawa, one of India's most successful golfers and the first to break into the top 100 in world rankings, won the Indian Open in 2000, he called it his greatest win.

"Winning one's own national open is a matter of great pride," he said. That it is also the longest running international golf event in the country is an icing on the cake.

Yet, this flagship event, which has provided Indian golf with some of its most prized moments, was almost in danger of not taking off this year, when the 41st edition was due.

For weeks, there was uncertainty surrounding the event, which had been sponsored by Shaw Wallace, under its brand, Royal Challenge, for the past two years.

The relationship between Shaw Wallace and International Management Group, which has been managing the event for quite some years now, had begun with great fanfare some two years ago.

Shaw Wallace had promised to pump nearly Rs 50 crore in golf. They even tied with a foreign equipment manufacturer to sell it in India under their Royal Challenge banner.

Shaw Wallace's involvement with golf was reinforced with the introduction of a four-event series called the Royal Challenge Grand Prix, which was part of the Hero Honda Indian professional golf tour.

The top two Indian players of the series were then chosen for an international skills match against a foreign duo and that served as a curtain raiser to the main event, the Royal Challenge Indian Open. Indian professional golf sure looked set for a rocking period.

However all that seemed to be on rocky terrain now, as some modalities are being worked out between the three parties, Shaw Wallace, IMG and Indian Golf Union (IGU), whose property the Indian Open is.

While Royal Challenge moved into corporate golf with a series of events in different cities, the results of this shaky and uneasy relationship had its adverse impact on Indian professional golf.

Royal Challenge golf sets and accessories are rarely found in golf outlets, the Grand Prix series did not happen in 2003-04 season and the skills match will not be the curtain raiser to the 2004 edition.

But mercifully, the main event with a purse of $300,000, has survived and will after all be held. H N Nanani, chief operating officer of the Jumbo Group, of which Shaw Wallace is a part, and Niranjan Thakur, executive director, Shaw Wallace, have both made it clear that Shaw Wallace's relationship with golf is here to stay.

But how that moves forward is something, they say, needs to be firmed up. That will be done soon after the 2004 Indian Open.

The late announcement is likely to hit the event. Since its conduct was uncertain for weeks, many golfers made alternate plans.

The weekend when Indian Open is due, is also the one when the main Japanese season opens with the Token Homemate event, (worth about $850,000) in Nagoya. It is also the week, when the European PGA Tour has an event in Spain, the Madeira Open.

Two top Indian players are part of the Japanese Tour, former winner, Randhawa and Jeev Milkha Singh.

While Randhawa has confirmed his participation in Japan, Singh might yet play in India. Another former champ, Arjun Atwal is concentrating on the US PGA Tour.

Some of the foreign players, Asians who are regulars in Japan, especially the Thai lot, Thongchai Jaidee (winner in 2001), Prayad Marksaeng and Thaworn Wiratchant and Koreans like Charlie Wi, might go to the more lucrative Japanese event.

Jaidee is doing very well on the European PGA Tour, where he currently stands sixth, and he has the option of playing in the Madeira Open in Spain in the same week.

Even then the Indian Open for Indian golfers, at least, happens to be one of the biggest weeks in the calendar. The fact that Indians have had tremendous success in Asian tour events in India over the past decade is not lost on anybody.

The Indian Open trophy has stayed back in India six times since 1991 and four times in the last seven years. When you add the fact that Hero Honda Masters has been won by an Indian five times in six editions since 1997, it is clear why international events in India are so attractive to Indian pros.

Remember, the 1995 Gadgil Western Masters, a $500,000 event held only once, was also won by an Indian, Gaurav Ghei.

Historically this is one the best known events in Asia. Started in 1964, the first winner of this event was the legendary Australian Peter Thomson, a five-time winner of the British Open.

A superstar in the 1960s and 1970s, he won the title two more times (1966 and 1976) but in between came to India many more times.

It was Thomson, an Indophile, who is said to have suggested to the IGU to have an Indian Open. And he himself actively promoted it.

A big name then in world golf, he played in it regularly and besides that got with him big names like Guy Wolstenholme of England, Angel Miguel of Spain and Ben Arda of the Philippines to participate.

The late Payne Stewart, won the Indian Open in 1982. Other winners include David Carter and Jim Rutledge. Many years later, Thomson helped redesign the Delhi Golf Club (DGC) course.

When it comes to the venue, few in India can compete with the DGC. Highly prestigious, well located and a natural layout make for a great tournament.

Of late the management at the DGC has been very receptive to big events and members are willing to forego their own rounds for almost two weeks that the course is unavailable to them.

They all realise that events like these put the course on the international map and lend prestige to the club itself.

This year the course at DGC sees as many as nine new greens, most of them on the back nine. The course is also at its longest, at little over 7,100 yards. And hopefully the weather will be perfect when the first tee shot is hit in about 12 days time.