SportsPosted at: Oct 13 2026 10:19AM


From maiden wins to comebacks, PGTI circuit serves up drama

BD Narayankar
New Delhi, Oct 13 (UNI) A maiden title, a seven-year wait finally ended and a golfer rediscovering his winning touch — the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) circuit served up its share of drama between August and October, with Khalin Joshi emerging as the standout performer with three victories.
Joshi won the J&K Open, the Nava Raipur Open and the Bengaluru Open, underlining the value of consistency in a sport where a single poor shot can undo hours of good work.
His Bengaluru triumph was particularly emphatic. He finished at 20-under 268, winning by five strokes at the Karnataka Golf Association course. The victory was his 10th on the DP World PGTI and fourth of the season, taking his earnings to Rs 67.34 lakh and lifting him to second in the Order of Merit.
He had won the Nava Raipur Open by one stroke before that, following a nine-shot victory at the J&K Open in Srinagar. Three tournaments, three victories, but no suggestion that success had come without discipline.
“The key was to stay in the present, execute each shot as well as I could and keep thinking positively,” Joshi said after winning in Srinagar.
While Joshi set the pace, others provided the compelling stories that made this stretch of the season more than a succession of tournament results.
For Shubham Jaglan, the Coal India Open on August 14 marked a significant career milestone. The 21-year-old from Panipat secured his maiden professional title, finishing at 14-under 196 to win by two strokes in the weather-shortened tournament at Tollygunge Club in Kolkata.
The pressure was evident over the closing holes. “The first win is very special. I was nervous over the last few holes, so I’m proud of the way I finished,” Jaglan said. The first victory can be the hardest to secure; the challenge thereafter is to prove it was no accident.
Mohammad Azhar also broke new ground, claiming his maiden professional title at the Kolar Open on August 21. The Hyderabad golfer finished at nine-under 279 at Zion Hills Golf County in Karnataka, winning by two strokes.
“This win gives me a lot of confidence for the upcoming events,” he said, summing up what a breakthrough can mean to a player still establishing himself on the circuit.
Rashid Khan's victory at the Telangana Open on August 28 carried a different significance. The Delhi golfer ended a seven-year wait for a title, finishing at 23-under 265 at Vooty Golf County in Vikarabad to win by three strokes.
“It has been seven years since my last win, and I struggled a lot with my game during that period,” Khan said.
In professional sport, a long spell without victory can test both confidence and conviction. Khan's triumph offered a reminder that a difficult run need not be the final chapter of a career.
Vishesh Sharma, at just 19, supplied another milestone by winning the Telangana Golconda Masters on September 4. Playing at his home course, the Hyderabad Golf Association, he finished at 21-under 259, one stroke ahead of Amardeep Malik.
“To claim my first professional title at 19, and to do it at my home course, makes this victory incredibly special,” Sharma said. For the teenager, the win marked an early breakthrough in his professional career.
Viraj Madappa provided the late charge at the Chennai Open on September 11. Starting the final round three shots behind overnight leader Ajeetesh Sandhu, the Kolkata golfer produced a bogey-free eight-under 64 to finish at 22-under 266 and win by one stroke.
The closing stretch culminated in the Kapil Dev Invitational, held from October 7 to 10 at Jaypee Greens Golf and Spa Resort in Greater Noida. Shubhankar Sharma won by six strokes, finishing at 14-under 274 after a final-round three-under 69. It was his second PGTI title of the season.
The tournament carried a prize purse of Rs 2 crore and offered 24 places in the DP World India Championship, giving players an additional incentive beyond the winner's cheque. With qualification opportunities at stake, the event added weight to the closing phase of the domestic calendar.
Across the nine tournaments, seven individual golfers claimed titles, with Joshi accounting for three victories. Jaglan, Azhar and Sharma celebrated maiden professional wins, Khan returned to the winner's circle after a prolonged drought, and Madappa demonstrated the value of a strong final round.
The results offered a snapshot of professional golf's competing demands: the consistency required to sustain a winning run, the nerve needed to close out a maiden victory and the persistence to recover after years without success. On the golf course, reputations may open doors, but it is the scorecard that decides who walks through them.
UNI BDN
Tags: #From maiden wins to comebacks# PGTI circuit serves up drama
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