Bhuller, among 17 golfers, issued show cause notice by PGTI for playing in IGPL
PGTI CEO Amandeep Johl on Wednesday said 17 golfers, including the seasoned Gaganjeet Bhullar, have been issued show cause notices, which the players described as “provisional suspension” for participating in the Yuvraj Singh-backed Indian Golf Premier League.
A final decision on the matter will be taken after a disciplinary committee meeting on September 27. Olympian and Asian Tour winner Bhullar, Aman Raj, Harendra Gupta, Karandeep Kochhar and Sachin Baisoya are among the players who have been hit by the action for featuring in the IGPL at Jaypee Greens, Greater Noida, from September 17–19.
It clashed with PGTI’s Chennai Open, which has become a point of contention. Johl maintained that PGTI had no objection to members playing in outside events, provided they do not clash with its calendar.
“If it’s outside our calendar, no problem. Go and play. But when it clashes with our events, it’s different. What do we tell our sponsors?” Johl asked in an interaction with PTI.
“That’s why we said: don’t play these tournaments during our weeks. But their response is, ‘We’ll play whenever we like. Sometimes PGTI, sometimes IGPL. But you can’t be riding two boats at the same time,” he said, drawing parallels with international tours like the PGA and DP World Tour.
“It’s a rule of our society. If you violate it, there has to be an inquiry. We have called them for a hearing to explain their point of view, and only then will we make a decision,” Johl added.
The newly-launched 11-event league was introduced this month in partnership with the Indian Golf Union and the Women’s Golf Association of India.
Led by Yuvraj, the IGPL has scheduled 11 tournaments this year, with events already held in Chandigarh (Sept 10–12) and Greater Noida (Sept 17–19).
A source close to Bhullar, however, countered that PGTI’s position was unfair as players are not under any contractual obligation.
“They are independent professionals who are not under any contract with PGTI…It’s funny to see a former cricketer trying to ban professional golfers,” the source said.
Baisoya, meanwhile, alleged “mental harassment” over tee times and pro-am obligations after he decided to participate in the IGPL and has moved the Delhi High Court on this.
“PGTI says you are doing one person’s job; you cannot do another person’s job. But there is no job in PGTI, we don’t get a salary from PGTI,” Basoiya said.
“We took a stay for 4–5 tournaments and kept playing. As a multiple winner, I was required to play the Pro-Am. But every morning, I’d be told my amateurs hadn’t turned up and then threatened with a fine if I didn’t show up.
“On top of that, my tee times were deliberately set at the extremes — either the first slot at 7 am or the last one in the afternoon. The same was done with other IGPL players. It was mental harassment,” he alleged.
Basoiya was sent a show cause notice on September 21 after he had already reached Hyderabad for the ongoing Telangana Golconda Masters.
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“After the JP Green event on the 20th, PGTI mailed suspension notices to all IGPL players and removed their names from the entry list, but not mine. So I flew to Hyderabad for the next event,” he said.
“On the 21st, I checked in, but the next day I was told I couldn’t play. No prior intimation — just a suspension.” Responding to the allegations, Johl said, “The delay happened because I had to get the letter vetted by our lawyer. Since the matter is sub judice, we couldn’t take any chances.
“We eventually gave him the letter two days ago, but the legal review took an extra 20–25 hours. Honestly, I felt sad that he had to go all the way there and then return because of this delay.” Players have also questioned alleged inconsistencies in the implementation of rules, pointing out that the Governing Body and Disciplinary Action Committee members of the PGTI were allowed to play in a Pune tournament that clashed with a Tour’s Next Gen event.
Johl countered that those players had sought and received prior permission.
“If you ask for permission, we will consider it. I gave approval to some players, even for IGPL’s Chandigarh leg. But you can’t just withdraw from one of our events and play elsewhere without clearance,” he said.
The IGPL, on its part, said it “acknowledges and understands the importance of upholding the rules and regulations every professional body sets for its members.
“At the same time, we also believe strongly in championing player rights, diversity of playing opportunities, and the overall growth of golf in India.
“We are here to develop qualitative competition opportunities and contribute to the sport’s ecosystem.”
Published on Sep 24, 2025