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. As the spotlight of the golfing world moves to the $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).
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 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 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. 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.
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.
