PGTI unveils new nine-event race format ahead of India Championship 2026 | Other Sports News

Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) on Monday launched a new season-long competition that will determine the 2026 Order of Merit champion and create a clearer pathway to the India Championship called the Race to DP World India Championship.

The inaugural season will feature nine tournaments between August and October, with a combined prize purse of Rs 10 crore. The tournament phase will conclude with the inaugural Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship at Jaypee Greens, Greater Noida, from September 30 to October 3.

The top 24 players from the Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship will qualify for the India Championship, while the top 60 players on the PGTI Order of Merit will retain their playing rights for the 2027 season.

What is the Race to India Championship?

The Race to India Championship is a new season-long competition introduced by the title sponcers DP World and the PGTI for the 2026 season.

It has been designed to provide a clear competitive pathway towards the India Championship, which will be played at Delhi Golf Club from October 15 to 18.

Unlike previous seasons, the PGTI Order of Merit champion will not be decided before the season-ending India Championship. The tournament will instead play a decisive role in determining the 2026 champion.

How many tournaments are part of the Race?

Nine PGTI tournaments have been included in the inaugural Race. The first three events — the J&K Open, Coal India Open and Kolar Open — have already been completed in August.

The remaining six tournaments are the Telangana Open, Golconda Masters, Chennai Open, Nava Raipur Open, Bengaluru Open and Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship.

Together, the nine events will offer a combined prize purse of Rs 10 crore, taking the total prize purse for the 2026 PGTI season to Rs 41 crore.

What is at stake for the players?

The Race will determine which players earn qualification for the India Championship.

The top 24 players in the Race standings after the Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship will secure their places in the India Championship 2026.

The competition will also determine playing rights for the following PGTI season. The top 60 players on the PGTI Order of Merit will retain their playing rights for the 2027 season.

The Order of Merit champion, however, will only be confirmed after the India Championship.

When will the Race conclude?

The Race to India Championship will conclude with the inaugural Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship.

The tournament will be held at Jaypee Greens in Greater Noida from September 30 to October 3.

It will be the final PGTI event before the India Championship and will therefore have a major bearing on both qualification for the season finale and playing rights for 2027.

Which tournaments are part of the Race?

The nine tournaments forming the 2026 Race are:

The Golconda Masters will return for its 12th edition, while the Chennai Open and Bengaluru Open will be played for the fifth time. The Nava Raipur Open and Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship will make their debuts on the PGTI schedule.

Title sponsor reacts to new format

Hemant Kumar Ruia, Country Manager Subcontinent (India) at DP World, said the initiative was aimed at strengthening the pathway for Indian golfers to compete internationally.

He said the Race would give India’s leading golfers an opportunity to earn their place alongside some of the world’s best players and help support the growth of golf in the country.

Ruia added that DP World was looking forward to welcoming India’s top golfers to Delhi Golf Club for the India Championship.

Kapil Dev gives his take on the new format

PGTI president Kapil Dev described the Race as an important step towards strengthening the pathway between Indian golf and the international stage.

He said the new competition would reward consistency and increase the competitive importance of the India Championship.

Kapil Dev also said aligning the PGTI season with the World Tour calendar would create greater opportunities for leading Indian players to make an immediate impact internationally.

How will the new calendar benefit Indian golfers?

One of the biggest changes is the timing of the PGTI season.

From 2026, the PGTI season will conclude with the India Championship in October instead of continuing until December, as it did in previous years.

The revised calendar is designed to align the Indian tour more closely with the World Tour season. This is expected to allow the PGTI Order of Merit champion to move more seamlessly onto the World Tour after earning exempt status.

The change could also provide Indian golfers with more immediate international playing opportunities.