SportsPosted at: Oct 15 2026 10:05PM


Chouhan leads Indian challenge as storm disrupts DP World India Championship

New Delhi, Oct 15 (UNI) Indian golfer Om Prakash Chouhan produced a composed four-under-par 68 to emerge as the best-placed home player at the $4 million DP World India Championship here on Thursday, as thunderstorms wiped out nearly five hours of play on the opening day.
Chouhan, a 12-time winner on the professional circuit and a former DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) Order of Merit champion, finished two shots behind Denmark’s Niklas Norgaard, who set the early pace with a six-under-par 66.
The 40-year-old Mhow golfer carded six birdies against two bogeys to share fifth place with four other players, giving the Indian contingent an encouraging start in a tournament featuring several leading international names.
Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood of England and world number two Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland opened with identical two-under-par 70s, remaining within striking distance of the early leaders.
The opening round, however, was dictated as much by the weather as by the competition. Overcast morning skies gave way to heavy rain and thunderstorms, forcing officials to suspend play at 11 am. Action resumed only at 4 pm after a delay of four hours and 50 minutes, leaving only the morning wave of 72 players able to complete their rounds.
Chouhan made the most of the playing conditions, relying on accurate approach shots and controlled putting to build his score. One of the highlights of his round came on the sixth hole, where he chipped in from around 15 yards for a birdie. He also recovered impressively from the rough on the eighth to save another stroke.
“I am very satisfied with my effort considering the conditions and the long stoppage that we had to endure,” Chouhan said after his round.
He said the changing conditions demanded adjustments in strategy, with the greens playing firm before the rain and allowing more aggressive approaches once the downpour eased.
Chouhan also credited his familiarity with Delhi Golf Club for helping him negotiate the course, adding that a recent change of putter had contributed to his performance on the greens.
India’s domestic PGTI rankings leader Saptak Talwar also made a promising start, carding a one-under-par 71 after recording three birdies and two bogeys.
Talwar said his putting had been encouraging, although a few misreads had cost him opportunities to pick up additional birdies. He expressed confidence that improvements around the greens could help him build momentum over the remaining rounds.
Among the other Indians, Manoj S. completed his round at one-over-par 73, while Veer Ahlawat returned a 74. Manu Gandas was one-under after his opening hole, Anirban Lahiri was level par through five holes and Khalin Joshi was also at par after three holes when play was assessed. Amardeep Malik and Kartik Singh were level par through one hole, while Shubhankar Sharma was two-over after five holes.
With several players still to complete their opening rounds, the leaderboard remained provisional, setting up a potentially crowded contest when play resumes.
The championship, carrying a prize purse of $4 million, brings together leading international players and India's established and emerging professionals, offering the home contingent an opportunity to test itself against elite global competition.
UNI BDN
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