I want Rory McIlroy to go back and think about coming to India again: Delhi Golf Club President Raj Khosla

This historic tournament, which has the potential to mark a significant moment in the history of golf in India, will offer prize money worth US$4 million, the largest prize money for a DP World Tour event in India. More than 20 Indian players will try their best to make an impact on their home ground. Two-time DP World Tour winner Shubhankar will be joined by 18-time global winner Anirban Lahiri, seven-time global winner Shiv Kapoor and Veer Ahlawat.

The four-day competition will be played at Delhi Golf Club, one of the most prestigious and historically significant courses in the country. It is noteworthy that this club was first established in 1931 as Lodi Golf Club and its name was changed after independence. The course is famous for being surrounded by historical monuments, including the Red Bungalow, the Dome of the Bara Lao and other Lodi-era tombs.

There are two main courses: the Lodhi Course (an 18-hole championship course) and the Peacock Course (a shorter 9-hole course suitable for beginners and casual golfers). Delhi Golf Club has hosted many prestigious tournaments including the Indian Open and SAIL Open. However, it is safe to say that nothing has come close to the magnitude of the DP World India Championship.

As the tournament draws closer, Hindustan Times spoke to Raj Khosla, president of Delhi Golf Club, who is happy with the prospect of hosting such a prestigious tournament. The competition is co-sanctioned with the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and will serve as the final stop on the Back 9.

Khosla talked about the upcoming tournament and the logistical hurdles faced by the association in the last few weeks. Work is underway at the Delhi Golf Club, as stands are being built to allow fans to experience the game up close and personal.

Part:

How do you see the game of golf in the country at the moment? Is it growing rapidly in India?

There was a time, maybe 50-60 years ago, you know, when golf was considered a completely niche sport and very few people knew about it, and even fewer people actually played it. But you know, I want to draw an analogy here, even with cricket. I mean, if you looked at the cricketers of the 1960s, who did you have? Pataudi, Nawab of Baroda, you know, Anshuman Gaekwad. The Gaekwads and the Baroda royal family, the entire Gaekwad family including Ranjit Singh, so it was the same.

Even cricket at that time, I am not saying it is the same, but in a similar sense, a few decades ago, golf was specific, but so was cricket. Today, cricket is played everywhere, right? Even people from the smallest village can see IPL how much it has given life to even the lowest and most deprived persons, right? Golf is also getting there. It’s not far behind. I mean, you have people like Amit Luthra, who is supporting golf in rural areas through the Golf Foundation. Cowboys, believe it or not, partner with small woodsmen; They go out and take the cows out into the field, and they start kicking a stone, and develop some skills around that.

They will pick him up and make him the winner. One such person already exists. We call her Shubhi. He is studying in a university in the United States. So, I’m not talking about what might happen. I am referring to the process that is currently going on. Golf is also no longer an entirely elite sport. It has reached various small towns, and I must say that people who otherwise would not have been able to make a living are making very good lives for themselves and their families.

You have been associated with the game for a very long time. You are managing the affairs. So, what has kept you going over the years?

Managing Golf Affairs, look, about 10 years ago, I was a captain. So, I was also a member of the board of the Indian Golf Association. And we were selecting the Indian team for the Olympics considering various aspects, like what you just mentioned, in terms of making golf a more inclusive sport rather than a narrow funnel, right? So, every opportunity we get to promote golf, and I don’t mean literally, it’s limited to club members.

I’m talking about golf as a sport in general. We have managed to promote it, to promote it, to bring people from the suburbs, from Punjab, from UP and from the hinterland of North and Central India, and get them, give them facilities, give them opportunities to play on the courses, get them coaching, support them. In fact, I won’t name names, but there are two or three national champions who have been caddies at the golf club.

DP World Championship is just around the corner. How is the big tournament going? How has the preparation been over the past few days, and how do you look forward to the tournament in particular?

Well, with a touch of self-pity, I might add that organizing a show like this is truly an administrator’s nightmare. What’s more, this particular golf club is similarly situated, and it is literally a stone’s throw away from India Gate. So, it is in the center of the city. It will be short on space, and with this type of show, the names that everyone knows are going to be here next week get a huge response, and I don’t know how many thousands of people will go through the course.

To set up a system that will work properly or to prepare for it, we have taken professional help throughout, and I might add, the administration, whether it is the Indian Administrative Service, the police, or the traffic, has been extremely cooperative. Well, it’s not really about the club. This is not something that makes the club look good or the members look good. This will make the country look good. You see, as they say, it is a question of the country’s honour. So, we know that we are taking on that type of responsibility and we intend to perform really well.

You may ask me, what is my purpose? What is your idea of ​​a good show? People like Rory and others are stars coming to India for the first time. When they leave India, I want them to go back and think to themselves, ‘When will I come back here again?’ It’s great, on the contrary. I will never come back here. So, that’s our objective, and that’s how we’ll define success.

You just pointed to Rory McIlroy. How do you see his coming to India for the first time? This is definitely a big responsibility.

Many other people will also be here. So, it is a collective responsibility and I don’t mean just the club. Even the immigration department is at the airport, etc., and there is transport to bring him here and put him up in the Oberoi next door. So, I think everyone is on this bandwagon and have a collective responsibility to take care, especially take good care of the stars, but also take care of the environment in general.

The sale of tickets for the tournament has also started. What kind of turnout are you expecting at the tournament?

I mean, the only word that comes to mind is tremendous, but in terms of numbers. So, this is exactly what I was alluding to a few minutes ago: managing the logistics around this kind of event is nightmarish, hellish. I mean, we are sitting on the Zakir Hussain mark. This is the entry. Can you imagine, this is a normal day club. What will it be like on tournament day? This is also the festive season. So, put it all together. We are just a few days away from Diwali.

A common misconception people have is that golf is a game for the elite and only rich people can play it. Your answer?

You can’t push these things around; Perception is entirely an internal matter, including what you like, what you dislike, etc. So, they change with time. Just like there has been a change in cricket. Golf is also going on. it will change. This is already changing. You often find people from very ordinary backgrounds who come into the game and make a living from it. I mean, I wouldn’t call Shubhankar coming from a very ordinary background, the son of an army officer, right?

So, but yes, but he is, but you wouldn’t call him elite either. And he has made his living from it. I believe this process will continue and in the next 10 years it will become as egalitarian as cricket is today. We are about 10 years behind cricket in that characteristic, especially in terms of egalitarianism.

There is also a lot of discussion about the prize money. What about the exclusive $4 million prize pool?

What can we say? Prize money is always a reward for playing well. So, 4 million dollars. Yes, this is clearly the biggest purse ever in India. We’re going to see some really good golf and competitive golf. The course is in great condition. We have an energetic captain Vikram Seth. Who, in short, have worked very hard to bring the course to the quality you see today. It’s absolutely brilliant, brilliantly played.

Do you see this specific tournament as an important moment for the sport in our country?

Watershed, my dear, this is of the greatest importance this year because a tournament like this has never happened before. So, I would say it’s unique because it’s happening. I also say that the country will get a boost. Remember, this is an international game too. Therefore, when an incident like this happens in India, it puts the country on the international map. India has been able to host these types of tournaments successfully. I mean, well, in the US there’s Augusta and then in the UK there’s the British Open and so on. I am sure that at some point of time India will also come on the map and will be considered to host a tournament of this caliber. So, I think it’s a good thing.