Inseparable – Golf and Dr. Pawan Munjal

08 November 2019: There are few organisations in India that invest their time or money in the sport of golf. Among the few that do, there is one that invests itself heart and soul in uplifting the game. Dr. Pawan Munjal has been an instrumental force in shaping a timeless relationship of love with the sport and its many unheralded heroes – men and women.

As the business leader joins the pantheon of icons in the Asia Pacific Golf Hall of Fame, gaining a piece of immortal greatness, it is a time to celebrate and acknowledge his contributions to the sport. Interestingly, Dr. Munjal took his time to discover golf, only crossing paths with it as a budding entrepreneur during his 30s.

“I am a Ludhiana boy,” he reminds us. “25 years ago one of my college friends who used to play golf asked me to join him at the driving range in Siri Fort. He asked me if I would like to hit a few balls.

“I thought sport is in my blood, so why not? I took the club hit a few shots and went back the next morning and I returned for many days to hit balls.”

It was a fortuitous turn of events that has changed the face of golf in India. Very few countries might be able to boast of a full circuit of events for women when there are only 15-25 women playing active professional golf. But we do in India, thanks in large measure for the unstinted support of Hero.

“I was already keen on sport,” explained Dr. Munjal. We, as a company, were supporting a lot of cricket. When I looked around I thought there were very few names helping golf. There was hardly any support for the tour. I decided that many companies are supporting cricket, but there is hardly any backing golf.”

Their relationship gained marquee status with the revival of the Hero Indian Open. “When the opportunity to take Indian Open we rose to the opportunity – we took that on. We grew with the game. It’s not a flash in the pan for us. We also took on hockey when it was almost dead in India.”

It is that courage and conviction in walking the less tread path that has helped separate them from the rest. They inked a partnership with Tiger Woods when there weren’t many willing to take a bet on the embattled hero. And the relationship has paid them rich dividends since they started the journey together in 2014. The Hero World Challenge is an iconic pre-Christmas celebration that brings together twenty of the world’s best for a memorable week in the Bahamas.

But the country needs more heads and hands cheering golf. Dr. Munjal is only too aware of the need. “Golf is growing but we need more support – we need other organisations to step up and take on the opportunity. India provides a stimulus but golf has gone to China. We need to address this by getting more people around the table.”

After over two and a half decades of his love affair with the game, Dr. Munjal remains a very smitten man. And that continued love bodes well for the game in India and globally.