Kartik, 16, becomes youngest buy; Baisoya costliest Indian at ‘72 The League’ auction

NEW DELHI: Gurugram’s Kartik Singh became the youngest buy at 16 years and one month, while veteran Mukesh Kumar, 60, was the oldest pick as the PGTI-sanctioned ‘72 The League’, a multi-city, franchise-based golf league held its players’ auction here on Monday, with an in-form Honey Baisoya emerging as the costliest Indian acquiring at Rs 20.5 lakh (base price Rs 10 lakh) after a three-way bidding war. The league is helmed and promoted by Game of Life Sports (GOLS).

Kartik, who went to Mumbai Aces after the franchise bought him for Rs 14.40 lakh, was bracketed in the silver category at a base price of Rs three lakh and eventually settled for close to five times his starting value following interests shown by Capital Lancers and Charminar Champions at the auction.



Kartik had turned professional with the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) -- a rival league which has partnered with the Indian Golf Union (IGU) and the Women’s Golf Association of India (WGAI) -- at one of its Tour events on Sept 10, 2025 at the age of 15 years, eight months and five days. He earned his full card for the Asian Development Tour 2026 within three months of turning pro.

“The fact that I am the youngest player selected for the auction makes me feel special. As I did very well as a junior and amateur, my family supported my decision to go pro at the age of 15 itself. It was quite a tough decision for all of us. Now that I have been able to play well alongside seasoned professionals for the last six months and I recently earned my full access pro cards for both the PGTI Tour in India and the ADT in Asia, the family feel relieved that our decision was correct. The league being a team event in match play format offers excitement and fun, and I am looking for the action to begin,” Kartik told TOI.

Besides the young Kartik, the auction also rewarded the experience with Kumar going to Kolkata Classics for Rs seven lakh. Baisoya, riding high on his DP World Players Championship win at the Qutab Golf Course recently, was the top draw, closely followed by young prodigy Shubham Jaglan. The 21-year-old Jaglan, whose base price was Rs three lakh, went to Hyderabad-based Charminar Champions for Rs 19 lakh, over six times his base price.

Among the international players, USA’s Jhared Hack led the way at Rs 15.80 lakh, courtesy some aggressive bidding from Capital Lancers. A total of 12 foreign professionals from seven countries were picked at the auction. The auction featured a total of six city-based franchises, each with a purse of Rs 1 crore, looking to select a squad of 10 professionals.

Mukesh Sharma, founder chairperson & CEO of Noida-based Prometheus School, is the owner of the UP Prometheans franchise in the league. He expressed his desire to take the game of golf to the grassroot to identify the young talent and nurture them.

“Not everyone can afford to play golf. But I want to take the sport to the people, to the grassroot. There is a lot of talent around. I bought a franchise in the shooting league. Now I am partnering with the PGTI and Game of Life to own a franchise in the 72 The League. I have a vision and long-term commitment to building a stronger sporting ecosystem in India. I want to see our country’s athletes winning medals at the Olympics,” Sharma said.

Box Item:

League tee-off: Feb 21, 2026

Venues: Classic Golf & Country Club, Jaypee Greens, and Qutab Golf Course

Six franchises: Delhi’s Capital Lancers, Hyderabad-based Charminar Champions, Kolkata Classics, Mumbai Aces, Rajasthan Regals, and UP Prometheans.



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