Women's Golf Association of India

The Women’s Golf Association of India– One of its Kind

2 December 2024 : Two decades of women’s professional golf was established to create sustainable career options golf for female golfers. WGAI has been able to sustain a competitive tour for the past 18 years. Golf as a career option became a game changer for National level golf players who attained the age of 18 and adhered to the rules and regulations that governed professional game in India. The rationality of starting small and growing steadily proved to be a successful model.

The Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour the platform created to show case Indian talent saw some young players doing well on the Ladies European Tour. WGAI gave the option to even younger players to join the professional ranks in 2018 with guardian consent. As per the laws of the land all it is mandatory for professional golfers to have a PAN card for receiving prize money and paying tax on the earned income.

Over a hundred Professional golfers have benefitted from the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour in the past two decades through both the domestic and International playing tours. With growing numbers on the Hero WPGT, WGAI is being able to award cash subsidies to the top 3 players list on Hero Order of Merit to travel overseas from the welfare fund. The 3 players who qualify for International Tours are awarded a monetary subsidy of Rupees 4 lacs each. This makes WGAI “One of a kind”. In the recent past our players have risen to the top 10 position of several Ladies European Tour tournaments.

Half a dozen young elite Amateur golfers play in the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour on a first cum first serve basis in each of the 15 legs which has helped in alleviating amateur golf in the country. It is also heartening to witness some clubs across the country that are organizing Pro- Ams to encourage club members to play with Professional Indian women golfers.

After several years’ tier 1 and tier 2 cities in the country are making good strides in golf course development. Real estate companies are building 9 and 18 hole golf courses to offer an outdoor experience for their home purchasers. The Delhi Development Authority’s success with pay and play facilities at Qutub Golf Club has paved the way for one of India’s longest golf courses in the NCR. ( in National Capital Region). Once commissioned the courses will give accessibility to many more young players including grass root level players.

At the venue of Women’s Indian Open a month ago, over a hundred young girls from Salwan girl’s school came to watch live golf. 31 junior players were hosted for a 3 day golf camp by WGAI &LET. Girls from different parts of India who came to the DLFGCC and received coaching from LET players were mesmerized.

This is the beginning of a golf boom in the country. These young girls are being groomed to become the future of India’s golf industry and Indian Golf. For the season ending 2025, the top Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour player made almost 16.5 lacs in prize money. There were 48 prize money winners and hopefully 2025 will see another lucrative year for women professional golfers with the Indian Golf Premier League which will take place during the year. IGPL will propel the game and prize money for our young golfers.

In the recently concluded Hero Women’s Indian Open, the top female Professional players received a Hero Scooter each along with the Prize Money that they earned. Professional Sport in the country needs recognition from GOI as self-generating employment.

Champika N Sayal