The 35-year-old Delhi golfer (66-67-65-67) finished at 23-under 265 to secure his 15th professional title and 11th victory on the DP World PGTI.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He collected Rs 15 lakh and moved up to sixth on the 2026 DP World PGTI Order of Merit, taking his season earnings to Rs 44,95,509.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Delhi\u2019s Honey Baisoya (72-65-66-65) produced the best final-round score among the leading contenders, making nine birdies and two bogeys in a seven-under 65. He finished runner-up at 20-under 268.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Baisoya, winner of the DP World Players Championship at Qutab Golf Course in February, earned Rs 10 lakh for his runner-up finish. He now occupies third place in the season rankings with total earnings of Rs 51,72,092.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Gurugram\u2019s Veer Ahlawat (68-68-68-65), the 2024 DP World PGTI Rankings champion, also closed with a 65 to share third place at 19-under 269 with overnight leader Angad Cheema (70-61-65-73).<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rashid\u2019s previous DP World PGTI victory came at the PGTI Players Championship presented by Chandigarh Golf Club in May 2019. After enduring a difficult seven-year spell, the two-time Asian Tour winner and three-time PGTI Order of Merit champion described his return to the winner\u2019s circle as an emotional moment.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI can\u2019t describe how I\u2019m feeling right now,\u201d said Rashid. \u201cIt has been seven years since my last win, and I struggled a lot with my game during that period. I went through many ups and downs, but I also learned a great deal. Once you come through a phase like that, you understand what you need to do.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rashid began the final round two shots behind Cheema and endured an inauspicious start with bogeys on the opening two holes. He responded emphatically, making three consecutive birdies from the third through the fifth before another birdie on the eighth put him in control.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI got off to a really poor start,\u201d Rashid said. \u201cI made bogey on the opening par five, and the second was playing extremely tough\u2014about 240 yards with a left-to-right wind.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cEven after starting bogey-bogey, I knew that if I stuck to my game plan and continued giving myself birdie opportunities, I could recover. The birdies on the third, fourth and fifth were important turning points.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Cheema, meanwhile, made three bogeys on the front nine. The momentum shift allowed Rashid to take a three-shot advantage into the turn.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe birdie on the eighth gave me a lead of two or three shots,\u201d he said. \u201cFrom there, my focus was simply to keep creating birdie chances. There were scoring opportunities on the back nine, and I started that stretch very well.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rashid tightened his grip on the tournament with three consecutive birdies from the 10th through the 12th. After making pars on the next two holes, he produced what he considered the decisive moment on the 15th.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI had a 12- or 13-foot putt for par, while Angad was inside 10 feet for birdie,\u201d Rashid said. \u201cThat proved to be the turning point.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Cheema managed two birdies after the turn, but his one-over 73 dropped him into a share of third place, four strokes behind Rashid.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Windy conditions added to the challenge during the closing stretch, but Rashid remained composed. Despite the intensity of the title battle, he enjoyed sharing the final group with Cheema and Jairaj Singh Sandhu.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI\u2019ve known Angad and Jairaj for a long time, and we had a lot of fun out there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rashid also praised the condition of the course, calling the final tee shot a particularly stern test.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe 17th was manageable, but the tee shot on the 18th was one of the toughest I have ever faced,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rashid also praised the condition of the course, calling the final tee shot a particularly stern test.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Talwar earned Rs 1,14,450 to extend his advantage at the top of the rankings, taking his season earnings to Rs 87,47,684.<\/p>\r\n\r\n