New Delhi, July 27 -- Indian golf has struggled to find new champions at the international stage for some years now. There is now some upheaval in the domestic set-up as well. Days after the launch of a rival Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) Tour, the official Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), which has downplayed the move, announced its scheduled for the rest of the season and a likely setting up of its own league. The modalities for the league are being worked out. "It's not in response to IGPL. We have been thinking about it for a while," PGTI CEO Amandeep Johl said at a press conference on Saturday. The six-team IGPL is expected to debut next January and will feature 60 golfers in a home-and-away mixed-team format. It announced the signing of veterans Shiv Kapur, SSP Chawrasia, and Gaurav Ghei as three of the skippers with Asian Tour regular Gaganjeet Bhullar revealed as an icon player. The bulk of IGPL's male players will be drawn from PGTI - women pros will come from WGAI while the amateurs come under the Indian Golf Union (IGU) umbrella. Both WGAI and IGU are with IGPL and their representatives accompanied IGPL management when they met union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya recently. About 20-22 PGTI pros, it has been learned, have jumped ship for a signing amount ranging between Rs.10-20 lakh. PGTI president Kapil Dev on Saturday brushed aside concerns of an exodus. "I have the responsibility of 350 golfers, not just 20. I have to see the bigger picture - for my team, my board, and everyone involved. Of course, I would have liked if they'd worked with us," he said. PGTI and IGPL have been in touch for over a year but talks fell off in recent months. "What's happened has happened. Let's not talk about what went wrong," Johl said. Insiders claim the major point of contention was Bharat Golf Private Limited's - the company backing IGPL - opaque funding. "We don't know where the money is coming from. The company was floated only last year. They are yet to file tax returns. They have the backing of a businessman from Hyderabad but there's no transparency," a senior PGTI member said. Queries regarding IGPL funding, at their recent virtual press meet, were ignored. IGPL, it has been learned, intended to take over PGTI and rename it as IGPL Tour. The PGTI in lieu was to get Rs.15 crore annually. "We couldn't have let that happen. Also, we are dealing with DP World Tour and PGA Tour and any financial dealing that appears fishy will not work in our favour," the official said. "Most of the players they are in touch with are either past their prime or struggle to make the cut on PGTI."...