Indian Golf League set to tee off from Dec 10

Aimed at helping golf shed the tag of being an 'elitist' sport, the second edition of the Thomas Cook Indian Golf League -- open to both new and existing players -- will tee off on December 10 at the Golden Greens Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon.

Spread over 12 weeks, the league has 14 competitive rounds and will be played across five courses on week-days instead of the usual week-ends.

Five leading scorers of each day will qualify for the final on February 18 at the Jaypee Greens Golf Resort in Noida.

The participation of the league is through invitations from sponsors and a 'pay and play' system through which the interested golfers can compete by paying Rs 1200 -- to cover green fee, caddy fee and basic refreshments.

Supporting the event was Asian Games team silver medallist Rashid Khan, who turned professional at last week's Indian Open.

"It's a good way to find new talent. Anybody can come and play and that will unearth good players in the country," the 19-year-old said at the launch of the league.

Seasoned professional Jeev Milkha Singh, who is nursing a back injury, also backed the league.

"I personally believe, golf is the fastest growing sport in the country. The Indian Golf League will see more players coming up," he said.