New Delhi, Oct 13 Some of golf’s biggest names, including career Grand Slam winner Rory McIlroy and defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, will tee off at the DP World India Championship, which gets underway at the iconic Delhi Golf Club on Thursday.
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, spearheaded by several in-form stars.
The top 24 ranked players from the Race to DP World India Championship (the current DP World PGTI Order of Merit) earned their spots at the USD 4 million event.
The ‘Race to DP World India Championship’ was introduced as a season-long competition this year to reward consistency and determine the season’s top 24 earners, who now have the opportunity to tee it up at the DP World India Championship — the season finale of the 2026 DP World PGTI season.
The names that have dominated the 2026 season include the top three players in the ranking: Saptak Talwar, Khalin Joshi and Veer Ahlawat.
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 had the distinction of representing India at the recent Asian Games too. He has earned Rs 99,59,684 in prize money this season, and leads nearest rival Khalin Joshi by over Rs 22 lakh.
The 27-year-old now has his sights set on the DP World PGTI Order of Merit crown which will be decided at the end of the DP World India Championship.
This year’s DP World 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, Talwar, 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 to not 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 has enjoyed the best season of his golfing career, with four wins propelling him to second place in the DP World PGTI Order of Merit. His hot streak has been such that three of his four triumphs this year have come through 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 DP World PGTI Order of Merit title if he performs well at the DP World India Championship.
Khalin, whose season earnings stand at Rs 77,32,225, said, “All of us here from the top 24 of the DP World 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 DP World PGTI Order of Merit champion Veer is currently placed third in the Order of Merit, with season earnings of Rs 65,97,400. Veer begins the week with the experience and advantage of having played on the DP World Tour 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 DP World PGTI this season. He too is a contender for the Order of Merit title.
Yuvraj Sandhu will be the other prominent Indian name in the mix as he is the reigning DP World 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.
The likes of Honey Baisoya, Akshay Sharma, Rashid Khan and Om Prakash Chouhan have all enjoyed a fruitful season, with the four players ranked fourth to seventh in the Order of Merit and each having a win under his belt.
(PTI News)
