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Why IPL teams are worth billions: Decoding RCB and RR’s valuation playbook | Business
Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) have raked in billion-dollar valuations, opening a window into how the cash-rich league has evolved from a cricket tournament into a tightly held sports-media economy.
This raises the question about how IPL teams are valued and whether these valuations are justified.
What does valuation mean in IPL’s context?
The report valued RCB’s brand at $269 million and Rajasthan Royals’ at $146 million in 2025. RCPL’s revenue was ₹504 crore in FY25.
Santosh N, managing partner at D&P Advisory, says the reported franchise prices are “at a significant premium to intrinsic value”. If annual revenue for an IPL team is roughly ₹700 crore to ₹800 crore, or under $80 million, then valuations of $1.6 billion to $1.8 billion imply revenue multiples of around 20x to 22x.
How are IPL teams valued?
The main financial method is discounted cash flow, or DCF. Houlihan Lokey says its IPL business valuation primarily hinges on the income approach, specifically DCF, which estimates the present value of projected future cash flows and terminal value discounted back to today.
For brand valuation, it uses the relief-from-royalty method, which estimates what a franchise would have had to pay to license its own brand if it did not own it. The methodology explicitly considers the role of marquee players such as Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, along with the importance of the brand to sponsors, advertisers and fans.
Why media rights matter most
The biggest anchor in any IPL valuation is the central revenue pool, especially broadcasting and league sponsorships. The Houlihan Lokey report says top franchises generate around ₹650 crore to ₹700 crore in annual revenue, with up to 80 per cent visibility secured before the tournament begins, helped by long-term media rights and front-loaded sponsorship deals.
This is also why IPL teams are increasingly viewed less as conventional cricket clubs and more as scarce media-linked assets. When media-rights expectations rise, franchise values tend to rise with them.
But Santosh also flags a constraint. The broadcasting market has consolidated, mainly by JioHotstar, making it harder to assume a sharp rise in rights values in the next cycle. “So it is difficult to argue that team revenues will rise 30 or 40 per cent, or even 20 to 30 per cent, in the near term. That is why, from a pure valuation standpoint, these numbers are hard to justify,” he says.
What makes IPL teams valuable
The central pool sets a floor. Team-level strengths then determine the premium.
Fan base is one factor. A large, nationwide and digitally active audience improves sponsor pull, merchandise potential and pricing power. Another factor is sponsor quality. Teams that consistently attract blue-chip partners are seen as stronger businesses, not just louder brands.
Houlihan Lokey’s study also argues that IPL franchises benefit from an asset-light structure, salary-cap discipline and low fixed-asset exposure compared with many global sports teams.
Scarcity matters too. There are only 10 IPL teams, and not all are realistically available for sale. “Out of 10 teams, maybe only one or two are realistically open to investment or sale. When many investors chase very few assets, premiums rise sharply,” says Santosh.
Why RCB’s valuation is not much higher than RR’s
The sale of both RCB and RR begs another question: why is the valuation of a popular franchise like RCB not significantly higher than that of RR?
On one hand, RCB boasts one of the league’s biggest fan bases, mainly driven by Virat Kohli’s stardom, a premium Bengaluru market and strong sponsor appeal. RR, on the other hand, never had a marquee player like Kohli, or boasts of a die-hard fanbase.
Santosh says that even though there is a gulf between the brand values of both teams, their revenues may still be nearly the same.
“Each franchise gets around ₹500 crore from the BCCI’s central pool, regardless of whether it is at the top or bottom of the table. Team-owned revenue is typically in the ₹200 crore to ₹300 crore range. A team like RR may generate around ₹220 crore on its own, while RCB may generate ₹270 crore to ₹300 crore. So the overall revenue gap remains modest,” he says.
On star power, Santosh says the Kohli effect on RCB should be viewed with caution. “Virat Kohli adds value, but RCB has not yet been able to monetise that value at a dramatically higher level,” he said.
What are the risks behind these valuations?
The bull case is not without caveats. Santosh identifies three major risks:
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Media consolidation could weaken future bidding intensity for IPL rights. -
Regulatory or policy action affecting key advertiser categories could hurt broadcaster economics and reduce future rights aggression. -
Some investors may be building in aggressive assumptions about a much longer IPL window, which remains uncertain because it depends on player availability, support from other cricket boards and sustained viewer appetite.
Why buyers may still pay up
Santosh says that these assets are not being bought like hold-forever dividend plays. “These (teams) are like trophy assets. For many investors, especially ultra-rich individuals and strategic buyers, the appeal may go beyond return on investment. Ownership brings status, access, visibility and proximity to the worlds of sport, entertainment and business,” he says.
The second reason is the exit value. According to Santosh, investors may believe that five or six years from now, demand for these assets will remain strong and someone else will be willing to pay $2.5 billion or $3 billion. In that case, their return comes from capital appreciation, not operating cash flow.
“So this is not a hold-forever, collect-dividends investment. It is more likely a prestige asset plus a bet on future resale at a higher price,” he says.
England won all eight of their qualifying games, scoring 22 goals and conceding none to finish comfortably clear at the top of Group K.
However, their group opponents were Albania, Andorra, Latvia and Serbia – four sides ranked outside the top 20 in the world.
Indeed their toughest test in terms of ranking last year was a friendly against Senegal, who were 19th in the world at the time. England lost 3-1.
It may have been a non-competitive match, but the Three Lions’ performance in that game was concerning.
“No discernible plan. No identity. No improvement – arguably even a regression – since Sir Gareth Southgate stepped down after defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin,” wrote BBC Sport’s chief football writer Phil McNulty after the game.
“[Tuchel] may offer up mitigating circumstances as he made 10 changes from the World Cup qualifying win against Andorra, plus this was a friendly at the end of a long season. But it was still a sobering, alarming evening as Senegal outclassed England.”
While that result and performance may have been a blip, England needed to face higher-ranked opponents to test them before heading to the World Cup – and they should get that against Uruguay and then Japan, who are 19th in the world.
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President Donald Trump on Thursday addressed the Iranian regime’s execution of 19-year-old wrestler Saleh Mohammadi.
“About two weeks ago, they put out a notice that if you protest, we will shoot you. They kill them. Look what they did to the wrestler. They killed him for, for speaking up. They killed him. He was a star wrestler, a great wrestler, actually,” Trump said during an interview on Fox News’ “The Five.”
“Iran has great wrestlers, and he was a star, one of the best. And they killed him because he spoke up. He spoke against the regime, which is largely decimated.”
Mohammadi was reportedly killed in a public hanging earlier this month, according to Iranian American human rights activists and dissidents.
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Iran International reported that Iran’s regime hanged Mohammadi and two other Iranian men, Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi “after being accused of killing two police officers during nationwide protests earlier this year,” the judiciary-linked Mizan news agency reported.
Mohammadi previously told Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting that his dream was to be an Olympic champion.
Mohammadi won a bronze medal in September 2024 for Iran’s national freestyle wrestling at the Saytiyev International Cup in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
The execution prompted comments of mourning and outrage from multiple Olympians, including U.S. gold medalists Brandon Slay, a wrestler; Tyler Clary, a swimmer; and Kaillie Humphries, a women’s bobsledder.
The International Olympic Committee prompted criticism for its statement addressing the execution because it did not condemn Iran.
“Sadly, today’s world is divided and full of conflicts and tragedies. The IOC cares deeply about the situation of athletes all around the globe and is concerned every time it learns of individual cases of mistreatment,” the IOC said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“However, it is very difficult to comment on situations of individuals during a conflict or unrest in a country without the IOC being able to verify the often contradicting information.
“At this moment in time, we are particularly concerned about the situation of Iranian athletes impacted by the events unfolding in their country, as we are with all athletes who face conflict and tragedies elsewhere in the world. Unfortunately, these situations are more regularly brought to our attention due to the increasingly divided world in which we live.”
The IOC noted it does not have the power to dictate the decisions of a sovereign nation.
“The IOC, as a civil, non-governmental organization, has neither the remit nor the ability to change the laws or political system of a sovereign country. This is the legitimate role of governments and the respective intergovernmental organizations.
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“The IOC is a sports organization whose remit and success is based on bringing the world together in peaceful competition. We have to be realistic about the IOC’s ability to directly influence global and national affairs,” the statement continued.
“At the same time, we will continue to work with our Olympic stakeholders to help where we can, often through quiet sports diplomacy. The IOC remains in touch with the Olympic community from Iran.”
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A new licence has been granted for the Peterborough BMX Club as part of its aspirations to attract national-level competitions.
On Tuesday, Peterborough City Council’s cabinet members voted to replace its previous agreement, where the authority was liable for the track’s maintenance, and issued a community licence that would enable the club to apply for funding from groups such as Sport England.
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The council owns the track based in Orton Malborne, which is a community sports facility that has been used by the club for more than 40 years.
The track was an important local facility that had unrestricted access for community use, the council said.
Any external funding secured by the club would be used to upgrade the facility to a national competition standard.
Following the decision, the club will be liable for all the track’s repairs, maintenance and improvements.
Mohammed Jamil, the authority’s Labour cabinet member for finance and corporate services, said: “Granting this licence is a win-win for Peterborough City Council because it is reducing the financial burden on the authority of maintaining the site.
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“It also preserves the unrestricted public access and gives Peterborough the opportunity of becoming a location for national BMX events, putting the city on the map as a place to visit for BMX enthusiasts.”
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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Thursday only “biological females” will be allowed to compete in women‘s events, preventing transgender women from competing.
The IOC is reintroducing testing for gender to determine eligibility to take part in women’s events from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics onwards.
The move will also rule out many athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD).
In a major shift of policy, the IOC is abandoning rules it brought in in 2021 which allowed individual federations to decide their own policy and is instead implementing a policy across all Olympic sports.
“Eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females, determined on the basis of a one-time SRY gene screening,” the IOC said in a statement.
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They will be carried out through a saliva sample, cheek swab or blood sample. It will be done once in an athlete’s lifetime.
IOC president Kirsty Coventry said: “The policy we have announced is based on science and has been led by medical experts.
“At the Olympic Games even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat.
“So it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
In a press conference later, Coventry added: “I do feel that this policy is a policy that is supporting equality and fairness and the protection of the safety on the field of play.”
Removes potential Trump clash
The new policy removes a potential source of conflict between the IOC and US President Donald Trump as the Los Angeles Olympics comes onto the horizon.
Trump issued an executive order banning transgender athletes from women’s sport soon after he came to office.
While sports such as swimming, athletics, cycling and rowing have brought in bans, many others have permitted transgender women to compete in the female category if they lowered their testosterone levels, normally through taking a course of drugs.
World Athletics welcomed the change of tack.
Read moreBars, Pride and dating apps: How China is closing down its LGBT+ spaces
“We have led the way in protecting women’s sport over the last decade,” said a spokesperson for track and field’s international body.
“Attracting and retaining more girls and women into sport requires a fair and level playing field where there is no biological glass ceiling.
“This means that gender cannot trump biology. A consistent approach across all sport has to be a good thing.”
Gender testing was first introduced at the 1968 Olympics and last used at the 1996 Atlanta Games but then scrapped after criticism from the scientific community.
The new policy is set to face some opposition too, especially in relation to athletes with DSD, the rare condition in which a person’s hormones, genes and reproductive organs may have a combination of male and female characteristics.
The British Journal of Sports Medicine said in an article this month there was “no scientific data of acceptable quality regarding sport performance advantage of people with DSDs possessing an SRY gene.”
It added: “Evidence regarding their athletic performance is extremely limited and problematic.”
Read moreSenegal passes law doubling penalty for same-sex relations to 10 years in prison
The best-known DSD athlete of recent years is South African runner Caster Semenya, the two-time Olympic women’s 800m champion who has male XY chromosomes.
The IOC is bringing in the new policy after the women’s boxing competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics was rocked by a gender row involving Algerian fighter Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan.
Khelif and Lin were excluded from the International Boxing Association’s 2023 world championships after the IBA said they had failed eligibility tests.
However, the IOC allowed them both to compete at the Paris Games, saying they had been victims of “a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA”.
Both boxers went on to win gold medals.
Lin has since been cleared to compete in the female category at events run by World Boxing, the body that will oversee the sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Right before the start of free agency, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted that Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard was available via trade, a bombshell notification because no one knew the purple team would part ways with its top defender. Two and a half weeks later, all signs point to a Greenard reunion in Minnesota rather than a trade.
Minnesota appears to have chosen extension over trade.
And it sounds like Minnesota didn’t want to trade Greenard all that much in the first place.
Greenard’s Eventual Extension Now Feels Like the Real Story
The brakes have been pumped.
Vikings Were Never High on Greenard Trade
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis weighed in on the Greenard trade situation Thursday and noted, “Why would the Vikings want to trade Greenard? In short, they would prefer not to. In 2024, when the Vikings signed Greenard in free agency, they viewed him as a potential long-term replacement for elite pass rusher Danielle Hunter.”
“Greenard was younger, and his skill set suited defensive coordinator Brian Flores even better than Hunter’s due to his versatility. Minnesota’s staff also thought of him as a potential locker room leader.”
The locker room leader assessment has already come true.
Lewis added, “The Vikings know they have a budding edge rusher in Dallas Turner waiting in the wings. They could also add more depth at the position with their nine picks in late April. Neither makes it likely that the Vikings part with Greenard for anything less than a significant return.”
“Anything other than a Day 2 pick would presumably be a non-starter. But the precise ask depends on a multitude of factors like player availability, pick swaps and the willingness of opposing teams to part with future picks.”
The Extension Matter
Greenard has no guaranteed money left on his contract; that evaporated last year. And when Greenard looks around the lay of the land in the NFL at outside linebacker, his peers, like Micah Parsons and Aidan Hutchinson, are earning over $45 million annually.
He brings home $19 million.
Even recently, the man he replaced in Minnesota, Danielle Hunter, pulled down an extension that brought his average annual value to $40 million. In short, Greenard and his agent feel criminally underpaid. To better reflect the market, the veteran EDGE probably deserves a deal near $30 million per year, if not more.
It appears that Greenard is on track to have the wish fulfilled.
Greenard’s Social Media Clues
In the last week, Greenard has posted pictures and videos of himself racking up plays in Vikings attire, leading the masses to assume an extension is on the way. As an example, his Instagram looked like this a few days ago:
If he were on the brink of a trade, Greenard probably wouldn’t be in Eagan. So, sleuths are studying every move, hoping to deduce whether Greenard stays or goes.
The current trail suggests a contract extension, with the Vikings keeping their 2024 Pro Bowl defender in the house.
Probably an Extension Incoming
From the moment the Greenard trade dust spread around social media, it always seemed more likely that Minnesota would find a way to finalize an extension. The club acquired quarterback Kyler Murray for cheap in free agency, renewing aspirations that the Vikings could reach the playoffs in 2026 and maybe even win the damn Super Bowl.
If that is the mission — the coaches and players will insist that’s the mission this summer — getting rid of the best players, especially those who rush the passer, is not how contending teams typically operate.
Lewis also noted on the Greenard trade situation, “Which teams would be interested in Greenard? Two currently stand out: the Philadelphia Eagles and the Indianapolis Colts. Both are in win-now mode. Both explored the possibilities of signing free-agent edge rushers Trey Hendrickson and Phillips. Both have invested in edge rushers in recent years. Greenard also fits the systems of both defensive coordinators: Vic Fangio of the Eagles and Lou Anarumo of the Colts.”
“In recent weeks, multiple NFC teams evaluated the Greenard trade idea. None has pounced on the deal, with a high-ranking executive from one of the intrigued teams saying the size of Greenard’s proposed contract was the central hurdle.”
The Vikings wanted a 2nd-Round pick for Greenard as a starting point for discussions, but that didn’t happen, and now it feels like he will return for Year No. 3 in the Twin Cities.
If not, Minnesota has Dallas Turner ready to continue his midseason breakout from last year as Greenard’s direct replacement.
New Orleans Pelicans (25-49, 11th in the Western Conference) vs. Toronto Raptors (40-32, sixth in the Eastern Conference)
Toronto; Friday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Raptors -8.5; over/under is 227.5
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BOTTOM LINE: New Orleans hits the road against Toronto looking to break its four-game road skid.
The Raptors have gone 19-16 at home. Toronto is 7-4 in one-possession games.
The Pelicans are 9-27 on the road. New Orleans ranks third in the Western Conference with 16.6 fast break points per game led by Trey Murphy III averaging 3.3.
The Raptors average 113.9 points per game, 5.4 fewer points than the 119.3 the Pelicans give up. The Pelicans are shooting 46.6% from the field, 0.1% lower than the 46.7% the Raptors’ opponents have shot this season.
The teams meet for the second time this season. The Pelicans won 122-111 in the last matchup on March 12.
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TOP PERFORMERS: Scottie Barnes is averaging 18.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 blocks for the Raptors. Ja’Kobe Walter is averaging 2.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Derik Queen is scoring 11.3 points per game and averaging 6.8 rebounds for the Pelicans. Zion Williamson is averaging 20.3 points and 5.2 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Raptors: 5-5, averaging 116.2 points, 40.1 rebounds, 30.0 assists, 9.2 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 49.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.6 points per game.
Pelicans: 5-5, averaging 116.9 points, 43.6 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 9.3 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 48.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.4 points.
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INJURIES: Raptors: Immanuel Quickley: out (foot).
Pelicans: Trey Murphy III: day to day (ankle), Bryce McGowens: day to day (toe).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Two-time Pro Bowler Kyler Murray is a Minnesota Viking after months of fans wondering if the Arizona Cardinals would let him walk for free. They did. And while the whole Vikings enterprise can benefit from Murray’s arrival, one man in particular should be rejuvenated — to the point of doing cartwheels: Justin Jefferson.
Minnesota’s QB fix may also calm its biggest contract question.
It also helps that Jefferson can reasonably ask for a contract extension next offseason. Murray will help him return to his 2020-2024 form.
Murray Will Strengthen the Vikings’ Case with Justin Jefferson
There’s a better chance of Jefferson staying in Minnesota for the long haul with Murray in the house.
Murray’s Arrival Should Stymie Any Budding Disgruntlement from Jefferson
Jefferson turns 27 this summer, a gentle reminder that even elite receivers have a finite prime, however gracefully they age. At 27, Jefferson is a lethal weapon, but the version of him at 30, while still formidable, won’t be identical; it’s just reality.
This should have been central to Minnesota’s quarterback decisions this offseason. It probably was. The Vikings aren’t just managing a typical roster timeline; they possess a top-five player, a future Hall of Famer, a championship-caliber weapon in his prime. A player of that caliber demands strategic urgency, meaning quarterback planning cannot be approached casually.
That’s why the Murray acquisition was so critical. Had Minnesota failed to secure him and settled for another unstable quarterback situation, they would have risked wasting Jefferson’s peak years, making a trade request not only conceivable but entirely justifiable.
December 2025 already raised concerns, with too much focus on whether Jefferson could even reach 1,000 yards, rather than on his potential impact in a deep playoff run. A repeat of that scenario in 2026 would mean squandering the prime of the Vikings’ most gifted player.
The Murray move offers significant promise, providing Jefferson with a quarterback plan that aligns with the urgency of his timeline. Had they not, well, it might’ve pissed off the otherwise happy-go-lucky Jefferson.
The Quiet 2025 Campaign
In 2025, Jefferson tallied 84 catches for 1,048 yards and 2 touchdowns. For an ordinary receiver, he could print that stat line and frame it on his wall. For Jefferson, that’s pedestrian. Nearly all Vikings quarterbacks had trouble utilizing Jefferson last season, and J.J. McCarthy, oddly, had a rough time targeting him, making him the first Vikings quarterback in six years with the problem.
At the peak of Jefferson’s powers — 2022, when he won the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award — he accounted for 128 receptions, 1,809 yards, and 8 touchdowns. With Murray in the saddle, dreams of those impressive numbers are possible once again.
Jefferson’s Contract
Jefferson’s contract includes a checkpoint after the 2026 season, which becomes relevant when considering a potential trade if he becomes so frustrated that he wants a change of scenery.
Trading him this offseason would have been unthinkable. A pre-June 1 trade would have saddled the Vikings with a $46.6 million dead cap hit while simultaneously losing their best player — a catastrophic move. Furthermore, Jefferson has not indicated any intention to leave, making the scenario entirely hypothetical.
However, 2027 presents a more viable opportunity for reassessment. If Minnesota fails to reach the playoffs again in 2026 and its quarterback situation remains unresolved, a post-June 1 trade the following offseason would incur a significantly lower dead money charge of approximately $13.5 million. It’s a much more manageable figure, especially considering Jefferson’s guaranteed money extends through 2026.
Therefore, the contract structure allows for future re-evaluation. That may not be necessary with Murray throwing Jefferson the ball. Jefferson could be so content with Murray as QB1 that the only financial matter next offseason is when the extension hits.
No Fear of Trade Fate — like Randy Moss 20 Years Ago?
On that note, the endgame is to keep Jefferson in Minnesota until his retirement. Twenty years ago, Vikings fans powerlessly watched as the franchise traded Moss to the Oakland Raiders while turning the compensation package into true pocket lint. Squat. Nobody wants to watch that movie again; it was worthy of a Razzie.
Steady quarterback play would enable Jefferson to remain where his feet are planted. The contrary is another season of middling or miserable quarterback output. For example, if Minnesota has signed free-agent passer Jimmy Garoppolo as an insurance plan, committed to McCarthy as the QB1, and then let the chips fall, there’s a decent chance that the 2026 campaign would emulate 2025 for Jefferson’s purposes.
Jefferson wants to contend for a Super Bowl, not reach 1,000 yards in Week 18.
Murray in town has the potential to satisfy Jefferson, a wideout smack dab in the middle of his prime.
What’s your favorite horror movie? “Halloween”? “The Ring”? “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”?
Mine is a little-known arthouse classic called “The Hardest Golf Course in the World?” The 15-minute short never appeared in theaters nor has it received a Rotten Tomatoes rating; it went straight to the DP World Tour’s YouTube page where it has drawn a meager audience — about 15,000 viewers — likely because most golfers don’t have the stomach for it.
Among the terrors in this fright flick: England’s Matthew Jordan putting up a slope only for the ball to . . . take a 90-degree turn and roll back toward him (“Makes you look silly,” a commentator says); Andreas Halvorsen of Norway chunking a greenside bunker shot . . . into the rough. And Troy Merritt playing left-handed off a cart path from where he . . . chips his ball into a bush. Those are just the PG-13 scenes; the NC-17 clips aren’t suitable for this site.
This gruesome medley of shots, among many other lowlights, all occurred at the 2025 Hero Indian Open at Delhi Land & Finance Country Club, more commonly known as [cue dissonant violin chords] . . . DLF.
;)
getty images
DLF, which has played host to the Indian Open since 2017, is a sharp-fanged beast that feeds on uncommitted swings and uncertain reads. The original parkland design, by Arnold Palmer, debuted in 1999 complete with 15,000 newly planted trees and 195 floodlights, which allowed for golf under the stars on all 18 holes. By 2015, though, the course had a new look and more fearsome feel, thanks to a Gary Player redo that included nine new holes and a retooling of nine of Palmer’s holes. The Player course, which stretches north of 7,600 yards, has two lakes, craggy rock formations, fairways choked by trees and bushes and bunkers that resemble the Great Pit of Carkoon. And then you get to the greens, which are about as easy to handle as the banks on a Nascar track. As one course review site noted of DLF, “The average handicap golfer will need to bring a sense of humour and an arsenal of golf balls.”
The pros, too. The DP World Tour is back at DLF this week for the latest playing of the Indian Open, and, after a first round in which 14 players failed to break 80, familiar refrains (shrieks?) could be heard emanating from the press center.
“Might be the hardest course this year,” said German pro Freddy Schott, who had to take two drops Thursday, both of which led to bogeys. “Your game has to be so good overall, there’s not a thing which can leak.”
And that was your first-round leader talking! Schott erased his leaky swings with a stunning eight birdies to take the solo lead at six under.
“It’s a course that you need to be patient,” added Eugenio Chacarra after a nifty five-under 67. “I just think it’s a real golf course. You hit every club in the bag, you can’t really have a weakness — you need to hit it good from the tee, you need to have a good approach, the landing areas are small. You need to putt good, the greens are firm and fast and it’s hard to read them.”
A real golf course.
The pros on the other end of the ’board weren’t as chatty, but their cards spoke volumes. Shubhan Jaglan of India shot a back-nine 49 that included a double, two triples and a quad. Amardeep Malik, also of India, made four triples and signed for an 89.
;)
getty images
Akshay Bhatia, who won the Arnold Palmer Invitational earlier this month, hit his opening tee shot, on the par-4 10th, out of bounds and made a double. Five holes later, on the par-4 15th, Bhatia accidentally played the wrong ball with his second shot, leading to a two-shot penalty and a triple-bogey 8. Bhatia bounced back with a front-nine 33 but still finished with a welcome-to-DLF 77. “Glad I didn’t shoot 80,” he said with a nervous laugh.
In 2025, three of DLF’s holes ranked among the 10 toughest holes on the DP World Tour: the 414-yard par-4 14th, which had a scoring average of 4.54; the 535-yard par-4 (yes, par-4!) 17th (4.51); and the 446-yard par-4 6th (4.44). Of the 17th, the droll English pro, Eddie Pepperel, tweeted in 2018, “The great thing about the 17th hole in India is that it has 15,000 rocks and 15 fans. Most great 17th holes have 15 rocks, and 15,000 fans.”
In the first round Thursday, 14 was playing harder still, to a stroke average of 4.93. Twenty-five players made double or worse.
You might be asking yourself, What was Gary Player’s end game here? In an era when playability and user-friendliness have become fashionable, what was the motivation for building such a shin-kicking test? On Thursday afternoon, I dropped Player’s office a line to see if he might talk me through his design strategy. Player was traveling, but one of his representatives did send me a written response from the Black Knight on his “key design philosophies” at DLF.
“Our design intent was to create a captivating and memorable golf course that would achieve world-class standards,” Player wrote. “While the course presents a meaningful challenge, it has been exceptionally well-received by the golfing community.”
He went on: “The course features an immense amount of variety and strategic interest, highlighted by iconic revetted bunkers, a dramatic rock quarry, a large lake, compelling contouring, and breathtaking vistas. What makes the achievement even more remarkable is that the entire landscape began as flat ground. To transform that blank canvas into 18 holes of championship golf is truly extraordinary. The experience is intentionally thought-provoking, offering a wide range of shot values that challenge players to think strategically throughout the round. Every hole offers something unique, continually engaging the player’s attention from the first tee to the final green.”
Oh, they’ll get your attention alright. They might keep you up at night, too.
Two years ago, the DP World Tour social team asked a handful of pros what an 18-handicapper might shoot at DLF. The question drew wry smiles, if not outright laughter, from most of the players — and chilling answers.
“I think I can easily see 80 for myself,” said Niklas Norgaard Moller of Denmark. “I think we’re close to 150, maybe 160. Such a difficult course.”
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An Eagles love story has taken off in the City of Brotherly Love.
Susie Celek, the ex-wife of Super Bowl champion Brent Celek, took to social media this week to reveal her relationship with former Eagles player Hollis Thomas.
Susie shared a video of her and Thomas during various outings, highlighting moments of affection.
She captioned it, “Life trends show I’m not big on commitment, but I’m stuck on you, big man.” Lionel Richie’s “Stuck on You” was attached to the post.
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Jason Kelce (62), Brent Celek (87) and Zach Ertz (86) of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrate Ertz’s touchdown against the New England Patriots during the fourth quarter in the Super Bowl at U.S. Bank Stadium Feb. 4, 2018, in Minneapolis. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The timing of the start of Susie’s relationship with Thomas and the end of her marriage to Celek is unclear.
KYLIE KELCE REVEALS HER ‘DOS AND DON’TS’ OF TALKING TO POSTPARTUM WOMEN: ‘OH, I’M SO SERIOUS’
Celek spent his entire NFL career with the Eagles, helping the franchise win its first Super Bowl title in 2017. He retired after the 2017 season. The tight end missed only one game in his 11-year career.
Brent Celek of the Philadelphia Eagles scores a touchdown during the first quarter of a game against the Los Angeles Rams at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Dec. 10, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Gross/Getty Images)
He finished his career with just under 5,000 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns. Thomas signed with the Eagles in 1996 and left after the 2005 season, two years before Celek joined the franchise.
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek celebrates after defeating the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl at U.S. Bank Stadium Feb, 4, 2018, in Minneapolis. (Brad Rempel/USA Today Sports)
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Thomas spent three seasons with the New Orleans Saints and later had stints with the Rams and Carolina Panthers before retiring after the 2009 season.
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