The winning juniors at the DLF G&CC
To turn the spotlight on juniors, the Indian Golf Union and The R&A started the Hero Indian Open week at DLF Golf & Country Club in Gurugram with a GolfSixes Junior Golf tournament in a fast-paced six-hole format, aiming to generate new interest for golf among kids.
The event, held alongside the $2.25 million Hero Indian Open 2025 this week, featured junior golfers from six North Indian states—Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Chandigarh. The competition followed a scramble best-ball strokeplay format, with each state represented by a team of six players under the age of 12. The final standings were determined by considering the two best pairs scores from three pairs in each team.
The Punjab team, represented by Upraj Singh-Zorawar (21 strokes) and Shlok Limaye-Guransh (19 strokes), secured victory with a combined lowest total of 40 strokes. Haryana finished as the runner-up, accumulating 43 strokes through the efforts of Kabir Sachdev-Brisha Singh and Taanush Singh-Mahira Sharma. Uttar Pradesh secured third place with 45 strokes, with the Ranveer Beri-Bhavy Rattan duo and Yajas Mehrotra-Arghya Gautam.
A developmental initiative for Indian Junior Golf
The IGU’s initiative aligns with global efforts by The R&A, the Confederation of Professional Golf, the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, the DP World Tour, and the Ladies European Tour to expand golf’s reach among young players. By introducing an engaging, short-form, team-based format, the GolfSixes provides more junior golfers with competitive play.
Neal Graham, The R&A’s Development Manager for the Middle East, Central Asia, and India, praised the initiative, stating, “The GolfSixes League is a proven development initiative that encourages new golfers to take up the sport in a fun yet competitive setting. It allows young players to transition from practice sessions to real-course play in a structured and team-oriented format. We are confident that the IGU’s efforts will boost golf participation in India, as we have observed in Europe, Africa, and the British Isles.”
The success of the initiative could see further GolfSixes Leagues across India, which might attract more kids to try their hand at the game.
