Jyoti Randhawa

New Delhi: What should have been a cause for celebration is quickly turning into one for acrimony with the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) now accusing its European counterpart of “breaching the protocol” in awarding an event to India.

The European Tour Monday announced its first sanctioned event in India, a whopping $2.5 million Indian Masters, to be held in February next year. But instead of joy, it has resulted in outrage.

PGTI’s grouse is that the European Tour has awarded the event to the Indian Golf Union (IGU), the country’s apex body for the sport, without consulting them or the Asian Tour, the region’s governing body.

“The European Tour has approached the IGU without the sanction of Asian Tour. They have sort of breached the protocol. They have also ignored the PGTI in the process,” tour commissioner Ajai Gupta said on the sidelines of the launch ceremony of a golfing event in Gurgaon on Tuesday.

“It’s like going into other’s territory uninvited. The event is no doubt a very big one, like any world championship, and will give India a lot of publicity. We want to do everything to encourage that.

“But we will be happy if it is done in correct manner. There should be respect for each other.”

Ace golfer Jyoti Randhawa also felt that the European Tour should have approached the PGTI before awarding the event to India.

“I feel they should have gone through us. We want to have it (the event) here. But according to protocol they should have called us,” he said.

Randhawa said if the European Tour continues to ignore the PGTI, then he would support the professionals’ body.

“If they want to go their way, I will be with the PGTI since its the players’ body.

“We are not hindering it. European Tour is a business organisation and they want to make business. But as a players’ body we want them to follow the etiquette,” he said, adding “I hope it will be solved.”