Out of 27 Indians in action, Johl expected “at least half” to make the cut. He said the first season blues had subsided and Indian golfers wouldn’t be as overwhelmed by the occasion and competition.
A few days before the start of the DP World India Championship, PGTI president Amandeep Johl was asked about his realistic expectations for home pros competing in the event.
At times I lost momentum, and at other times I found it again. “It’s been a challenge, honestly. “I’ve really struggled with a few greens in particular. The 18th is one of the hardest to read, and I’ve misread it most of the time. Everything has been cut very tight, including the fairways. With the rain this week and in the build-up, the grass hasn’t quite reached that lush stage of growth. “It was a rollercoaster week. There were rain delays, restarts and resumptions. I’ll take the positives. Sandhu will head to the DP World Q-school to try and get his playing rights back on the main tour.
There were flashes of brilliance from Yuvraj Sandhu as well, who blasted seven birdies in his last 10 holes to make the cut. The 29-year-old ended Round 3 even par and carded 4-under on the final day, 5-under for the tournament. I started getting more comfortable during the latter part of the first 36 holes. I’m hitting the ball really well, and honestly, I feel I’m very close to a big week in my career,” said Sandhu, the 2025 PGTI Order of Merit winner. DP World extending its support to the tournament till 2035 means the Indian pros will not only have the opportunity to go up against a world-class field at home every year, but it will also be a chance for them to tune their game on the course where they have struggled over the past two years. With PGTI also pledging financial support to the top-30 players willing to compete on the Challenger tours, international pathways may multiply for those willing to grind hard. It’s been a recurring theme at the Hero Indian Open as well where the last Indian win came in 2017.
That said, the sight of Indians repeatedly coming short even on home courses is baffling.
As it turned out, only six Indians proceeded to the money rounds, a minor uptick from the five that played the final two rounds at the Delhi Golf Club (DGC) last year. Even walking around today, I was thinking that when I come back next year, I might spend Monday with just a putter, taking an hour on every green and exploring the different sections,” said Lahiri. The lies are very sandy, which is why you’re seeing players use hybrids, putters and less-lofted clubs around the greens,” Lahiri said after compiling a sedate, error-free final round on Sunday that included birdies on the first, 8th, 11th, and 14th holes.
