Daijiworld Media Network - Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad, Oct 23: India’s 22-year-old amateur golfer Arin Ahuja won the PGTI Qualifying School 2026-27 by a one-shot margin after carding an even-par 72 in the fourth and final round of the Final Qualifying Stage at Kensville Golf and Country Club in Ahmedabad on Friday.
Noida-based Ahuja, who was making his first appearance at the PGTI Qualifying School, finished with a total of three-under 285 after rounds of 70, 73, 70 and 72.
India’s Vedant Sirohi (71-71-73-71) and Bangladesh’s Md Siddikur Rahman (69-73-71-73) finished joint runners-up at two-under 286.
The final-round cut was set at 15-over 203, with the top 48 players earning full cards for the 2026-27 PGTI season. The group included four amateurs and five foreign players — four from Bangladesh and one from Sri Lanka.
Ahuja, who has one junior-level title to his credit and was ranked India’s No. 2 amateur golfer in 2024, staged an impressive comeback after an unsettled start to the final round.
Overnight tied for second, one shot behind the leader, Ahuja struggled with his irons early in the round, missing several greens and dropping three bogeys over the first five holes. However, the son of an Army officer stayed in contention with crucial par saves from 10 to 15 feet on the seventh and eighth holes as his putting improved.
Ahuja turned the contest around on the 14th, producing an outstanding approach shot before sinking a 12-foot putt for an eagle. He followed it up with two more long birdie putts on the 15th and 17th to take the lead.
Despite dropping a shot on the 18th, Ahuja had done enough to secure the title by one stroke.
Speaking after his victory, Ahuja expressed excitement at the prospect of playing his first professional season on the DP World PGTI circuit.
“It’s been a solid week for me. I thank my coach Rahul Bajaj for his guidance. I made a poor start today, but I’m proud of the way I kept my cool and fought back towards the end. After the eagle on the 14th, I knew I had a good chance to win. I then took it one shot at a time. My putting was the key to my success this week,” he said.
“My strength has always been hitting it straight and keeping it in play. I did that well this week too. I’ve had some consistent performances as an amateur over the past three years, which led to my decision to take a shot at the DP World PGTI Qualifying School. This win is a big morale-booster for me, and I now plan to turn professional very soon,” Ahuja added.
The 2026-27 PGTI season will begin with the IndianOil SERVO Masters, scheduled to be held in Digboi, Assam, from November 17 to 20.