Washington, Aug. 13 -- The golf tournament was scheduled for August 21 at US President Donald Trump's golf club at Bedminster in New Jersey. Key influencers in the Indian American business and political community as well as high-profile members of the Trump administration were expected to attend what was meant to be an important networking event, one that hoped to smoothen the friction that had crept into the US-India relationship over the past few months. But with the chill in the relationship further deepening with Trump's announcement of a penal tariff on India, it has now been postponed until further notice, according to persons aware of the matter. The event was seen as an opportunity to informally broker a reduction in tensions between New Delhi and Washington. The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) -- a well connected non-profit with links to power players in New Delhi and Washington -- took the lead in organising the tournament. However, the broader tension in the relationship may have led the event to be rescheduled, the people cited above added, asking not to be named. USISPF officials did not respond to requests seeking comment on the matter. Owned and operated by the Trump Organization, the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster has served as an important retreat for the President and his family during his first and second term in office. The 600-acre property - bought by Trump in 2002 - was opened as an exclusive golf club in 2004. The people cited above said Indian American CEOs such as Shantanu Narayan of Adobe, Raj Subramaniam of FedEx, and Arvind Krishna of IBM were invited to attend the tournament. Important political figures like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and New York City Mayor Eric Adams were also to feature in the guest list. Forty to 50 individuals were expected to play in the tournament which would end in a black tie dinner, the people said. The event - it was hoped - would also see President Donald Trump attend. But in the last month, New Delhi and Washington have clashed over trade, energy purchases from Russia, India's membership of BRICS and America's growing closeness to Pakistan. Last week, President Trump announced that India would face a 50% tariff -- among the highest tariff rates in the world -- including a 25% tariff as a penalty for purchasing Russian energy. Trump also criticised India and Russia as "dead economies" in a post on Truth Social. India-US tensions featured prominently in the Monsoon Session of Parliament in New Delhi. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri briefed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs -- chaired by Shashi Tharoor -- on the state of play in the bilateral relationship this week. August will see key developments that offer a pathway for both sides to dial down tensions. On August 15, President Trump is expected to meet Russia's President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Alaska. The meeting could lay the groundwork for a settlement to end the Ukraine war, which could also lead to a reduction in US pressure on India for its purchase of Russian energy. On August 25, Assistant US Trade Representative Brendan Lynch is expected to visit India to carry forward bilateral trade talks, which have not yielded a trade deal thus far. And if all goes well, maybe that golf tournament will happen....