Golf: PGTI Stars Spearhead Indian Challenge At India Championship 2026

Golf: PGTI stars spearhead Indian challenge at India Championship 2026 (Golf: PGTI stars spearhead Indian challenge at India Championship 2026 (Credit: PGTI))

Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship:  As the spotlight of the golfing world moves to the US$ 4 million India Championship, some of the biggest names in international golf such as defending champion Tommy Fleetwood and career Grand Slam winner Rory McIlroy will be descending on the hallowed turf of the Delhi Golf Club (DGC).

The blue-riband event of Indian golf, co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the DP World PGTI, is also set to witness a strong Indian challenge which will be spearheaded by several in-form PGTI stars.

The top 24 ranked players from the Race to India Championship (the current PGTI Order of Merit) earned their spots at the India Championship this week. The ‘Race to India Championship ’ was introduced as a season-long competition this year that rewarded consistency and determined the season's top 24 performers in terms of prize money earnings, who now get the opportunity to tee it up at the India Championship, which also happens to be the season finale of the 2026 PGTI season.

The names that have dominated the 2026 season include the top three from the rankings: Saptak Talwar, Khalin Joshi and Veer Ahlawat.

Saptak Talwar notched up a win at the Indorama Ventures Open early in the season and has also been in contention at several events through the year with seven other top-10s. Talwar, who has also been a regular on the European Tour, had the distinction of representing India at the recent Asian Games too.

The PGTI Order of Merit leader Saptak has season’s prize money earnings of INR 99,59,684, and a lead of over INR 22 lakh over nearest rival Khalin Joshi. The 27-year-old Talwar now has his sights set on the PGTI Order of Merit crown, which will be decided at the end of the DP World India Championship. This year’s PGTI Order of Merit champion will earn himself full playing rights on the DP World Tour for the 2026-27 season.

Coming into the week, Saptak, the top favourite to win the Order of Merit title, said, “Being the Order of Merit leader there’s a sense of responsibility and a little bit of pressure. But I think it's also a place of privilege. I'm excited to be in this position.

“The DGC is very special to me. I've grown up playing on the B course here. It's important not to get ahead of myself. It's just a matter of staying in the present, and if I take care of the stuff that's in my control, I think I should be in a good spot. I certainly feel like I have the game to do well this week.”

Khalin Joshi has enjoyed the best season of his golfing career as he posted four wins that propelled him to second place in PGTI’s money list. Khalin’s hot streak has been such that three of his four triumphs this year have come as a result of wire-to-wire victories. The 34-year-old, who won his only international title at the DGC in 2018 (an Asian Tour event), is still in the race to win the PGTI Order of Merit title if he performs well at the India Championship.

Khalin, whose season earnings stand at INR 77,32,225, said, “All of us here from the top 24 of the PGTI will look to put our best foot forward this week and show what we're all made of. I have great memories of DGC as I’ve won here in the past. So, I’m looking forward to having another positive week. Hopefully, I can replicate my form from the past few weeks and have a shot at the title.

“This season my mindset on the course has been much better. I’m a lot calmer and more confident going into a tournament now, and that’s been the big change in my game.”

Former PGTI Order of Merit champion Veer Ahlawat is currently placed third in the Order of Merit with season earnings of INR 65,97,400. Veer begins the week with the exposure and advantage of having played on the DP World Tour back in 2025. Veer, who recently represented India at the Asian Games, has been a picture of consistency this year, having secured nine top-10s, the most by any player, on the PGTI this season. He too is a contender for the Order of Merit title.

The 30-year-old Veer said, “It's the strongest field we play against the whole year, and we’re all (Indian players) really looking forward to this week. We all play on this course enough, so we know this course pretty well, and the Indian players will look to make the most of this opportunity.

“I've played a lot of big events as I’ve played on the DP World Tour for a year. So, I know how to play with loads of people watching and all those things.

“On this course, it's a different kind of game that you have to play. You have to be very precise off the tee, on second shots, and especially chipping on the green. You also have to be very smart. You can't just hit drivers all the time. I’m not keeping my driver in the bag this week.”

Yuvraj Sandhu will be the other prominent Indian name in the mix as he is the reigning PGTI Order of Merit champion and has been a winner at the DGC in the past. He also showed a glimpse of his good form with a top-5 finish at the Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship last week.

“On this course, it's a different kind of game that you have to play. You have to be very precise off the tee, on second shots, and especially chipping on the green. You also have to be very smart. You can't just hit drivers all the time. I’m not keeping my driver in the bag this week.”

Article Source: IANS