Indian standout Karandeep Kochhar believes the newly announced partnership between the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) and the LIV-Golf backed International Series can give India’s leading players a clearer route into world-class fields, with a genuine shot at moving into the LIV Golf ecosystem.
His comments come after an impressive second round at International Series Japan, which moved him into a tie for second on the leaderboard.
“I think it’s awesome. For a start-up like IGPL to have these kinds of associations so early just proves how strong the leadership is,” said Kochhar. “It’s great for our players back home to have a chance to play International Series events and hopefully play LIV Golf Promotions and see what can happen from there.”
The season-long International Series Rankings provides a direct pathway to the LIV Golf League. Through its partnership with the Series, leading IGPL players can earn starts on The International Series as well as access to LIV Golf Promotions. For players based in India, it creates a clearer performance ladder, from domestic competition to the international stage.
Kochhar has already built a strong record on the IGPL, winning the 2025 IGPL Invitational UAE in Dubai after earlier finishing runner-up at the IGPL Invitational Kolkata. He believes that exposure, plus the new tie-in, can help prove the depth of Indian talent and give younger players a clearer sense of what the next step looks like.
From a personal perspective, Kochhar says the connection strengthens a path he has been targeting for years. “I’ve always loved playing on the Asian Tour,” he said. “When I joined IGPL there wasn’t any affiliation like this, so seeing it now connect into the Series is a big morale boost, not just for me but for players back home too.”
Before arriving in Japan, the 27-year-old had been trending in the right direction since late 2025. Kochhar claimed victory at the Egypt Golf Series: Red Sea Open on the Asian Development Tour, finished fifth on the 2025 ADT Order of Merit, and opened 2026 with a fourth-place finish at the Philippine Golf Championship.
Kochhar has taken that momentum into The International Series opener in Japan, where a bogey-free 65 in round two left him tied second on six under at Caledonian Golf Club heading into the weekend.
