A new fixture on India's professional golf calendar
On 23 October 2026, the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and Essar Foundation announced the Shri Shashi Ruia Memorial Golf Championship, a new annual professional tournament. Its inaugural edition is scheduled for 12–15 January 2027 at Willingdon Sports Club, Mumbai, with a prize purse of ₹2 crore (INR 20 million).
The organisations have entered a five-year partnership, with the championship expected to run annually through 2031. A Pro-Am is scheduled for 10 January 2027, ahead of the main competition. The announcement creates an ongoing event rather than a one-off exhibition, although its future scale will depend on the strength of the field and how the tournament develops.
A historic course in India's business capital
Founded in 1917, Willingdon Sports Club is one of Mumbai's longstanding sporting institutions. Its 18-hole golf course dates to 1933 and sits in South Mumbai. The setting links an established sporting venue with a major business centre where sponsors, audiences and professional golfers can meet.
A substantial purse and a regular place on the schedule can provide valuable opportunities for established Indian professionals and emerging players. The organisers have not yet named the competitors, so no particular star's participation should be assumed.
Why the event carries the Ruia name
The tournament honours Shashi Ruia, the late co-founder of Essar Group, which he built with Ravi Ruia. Family representatives described golf as a sport he particularly enjoyed. For Essar Foundation, the event is both a memorial and a continuing commitment to the game.
Kapil Dev, president of DP World PGTI, sees the Mumbai tournament as a way to broaden golf's reach and visibility. Tour chief executive Amandeep Johl emphasised the importance of the multi-year commitment for building a lasting professional event.
The test comes after the announcement
Dates, venue, prize money and backing are confirmed. What remains to be seen is the quality of the first field, competitive depth and whether the championship becomes an established stop in subsequent seasons. The January date may also influence which players can include it in their schedules.
There is an important distinction: DP World PGTI is India's national professional tour, not the international DP World Tour. Although the organisations are strategically aligned, the newly announced event has not been presented as a Race to Dubai tournament or a guaranteed route to a PGA TOUR card.
