LEGENDS TOUR ANNOUNCES ITS DEBUT IN INDIA

• HSBC India unveiled as the title sponsor for the inaugural Legends Tour event in India
• The golf tournament to carry a prize purse of USD 500,000
• HSBC India Legends Championship to be held from Wednesday 28^th August to Sunday 1^st September, 2024 at the Jaypee Greens Golf Course
• Hosted by Indian legend Jeev Milkha Singh and also sanctioned by the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI)

Khel Today Bureau

New Delhi: The Legends Tour today announced that it will stage its first ever event in India this month, with the HSBC India Legends Championship set to be held at the picturesque Jaypee Greens Golf Course. The inaugural Legends Tour tournament in India will carry a handsome prize purse of USD 500,000 and will be hosted by one of India’s most well-known golfers, Jeev Milkha Singh.

The HSBC India Legends Championship is also sanctioned by the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and will see 10 Indian golfer’s taking part in the tournament, including the host as well as fellow Legends Tour member Jyoti Randhawa.

The tournament will be played at Jaypee Greens GC in Greater Noida, a Greg Norman designed course, from 29^th August to 1^st September 2024.

The Legends Tour, earlier known as European Senior Tour, is the official tour for players over 50. It is part of the PGA European Tour alongside the DP World Tour and European Challenge Tour. The Legends Tour features a strong playing membership that includes former Major Winners, World Number Ones and Ryder Cup Players and Captains.

Jeev Milkha Singh. 

Jeev Milka Singh said: “It’s going to be a big boost to Indian golf. It is very special for me, and I’m really excited that I’m going to be hosting and playing this event at Jaypee Greens.

“Golf is the fastest growing sport in our country today. There are a lot of promising young players coming out – we have a great junior program, a very good professional tour. The way things are going, we’ll be seeing a lot more professional golfers coming out of India who’ll be playing on the world stage and making the country proud.”

A Legends Tour tournament of this magnitude will further put India firmly on the world stage within golf and the stature will be enhanced with HSBC India being the title sponsor.

Sandeep Batra, Head, Wealth and Personal Banking, HSBC India, added “We are proud to announce our title sponsorship of the Legends Tour in India, a significant step towards realizing our long-term vision for golf. Our ambition is to leave a lasting legacy in the sport, fostering growth and development at all levels. Through this partnership, we aim to inspire future generations to embrace golf, while also ensuring a sustainable future for the game. We are committed to supporting golf’s expansion in the country, and this collaboration marks an exciting milestone in our journey.”

Jaypee Green. 

Speaking about the tournament and the partnership with HSBC, Legends Tour CEO Phil Harrison said: “This is an important step for us, heading into India for the first time and it is fantastic to have HSBC alongside us for this journey. They have been incredible supporters of golf all around the world and we look forward to further strengthening our relationship with them in India through the course of this inaugural Legends Tour event in the country.

For the Legends Tour, this is just a great opportunity. Delhi’s an iconic, wonderful city and to have a first tournament there is great. One of our mission statements is to grow the game, and this is why we’re going global, going to Africa, to Asia, and India is a big part of that for us.”

Spectators can watch the Legends in action at Jaypee Greens for free and the tournament is set to attract many sporting fans, not least to see Milkha Singh and Randhawa. There will be plenty of activities around the course too for the community, especially for children getting into golf with help from the Indian Golf Union, while there will also be a Saturday night fashion show from Athletic Drive.

On course, the event week will feature a Championship Pro-Am on both the Wednesday 28^th and  Thursday 29^th, while Legends Experience members will compete on Friday 30^th and Saturday 31^st  alongside the professionals. The tournament for the Legends Tour professionals will run from Friday 30^th August to Sunday 1^st September.

About the Legends Tour:

Formerly known as the European Senior Tour and the Staysure Tour, the Legends Tour is the men’s professional golf tour for members aged 50 and older. Five years after the first edition of The Senior Open, won by Neil Coles in 1987, more than 60 professionals called for a formally structured Tour, which was then created in 1992. Many of the pioneering champions who played on the European Tour during the 1970s, 80s and 90s make up the Legends Tour’s active membership.

In September 2020, Ryan Howsam, Staysure Group CEO, acquired a majority equity share in the Tour in a ground-breaking joint venture with the European Tour, a unique structure whereby an individual has the majority ownership in a professional tour.

Colin Montgomerie, Sam Torrance and Woosnam are among the winners of the John Jacobs Trophy, which is awarded to the golfer who finishes first on the Legends Tour Order of Merit presented by Rolex each season.

In 2024, the Legends Tour began new ambassador partnerships with former Ryder Cup captains Paul McGinley and Colin Montgomerie along with Major winners Michael Campbell (2005 US Open), Paul Lawrie (1999 Open Championship).

The Legends Tour provides unmatched playing experiences for amateur golfers at its Legends Experience, Championship Pro-Am and Celebrity Pro-Am events. These experiences provide golfers with unique once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to rub shoulders with and play alongside legends of the game at competitive events hosted at world-class golfing destinations.

About HSBC India

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited in India offers a full range of banking and financial services through 26 branches across 14 cities.

HSBC is one of India’s leading financial services groups, with around 42,000 employees in its banking, investment banking and capital markets, asset management, insurance, software development and global resourcing operations in the country. It is a leading custodian in India. The Bank is at the forefront in arranging deals for Indian companies investing overseas and foreign investments into the country.

HSBC Holdings plc

HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of HSBC, is headquartered in London. HSBC serves customers worldwide from offices in 60 countries and territories. With assets of US$2,975bn at 30 June 2024, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations.