New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Saptak Talwar, India’s current No. 1 on the DP World PGTI Tour, knows the next few weeks could be life-changing for him and take the 27-year-old to the next level in the sport.

The tournament not only boasts of a massive $4 million prize, the highest in India for the second year running, but could also decide the topper of the DP World PGTI Order of Merit, newly named as the ‘Race to DP World India Championship’.

Following a landmark arrangement between the DP World PGTI and the DP World Tour, the winner of the domestic Indian Order of Merit will get a full status on the main Tour. The arrangement is also the latest marker of the investment global logistics provider DP World has made in Indian golf – part of a wider sporting footprint that also includes cricket and a consistent focus on bringing more young people into the sport.

The event brings huge benefits for both the fans and the Indian golfers. While the fans await a golfing feast with the likes of two-time Masters winner, Rory McIlroy, defending champion Tommy Fleetwood and former FedEx Cup winner, Viktor Hovland, and Major champions like Ryan Fox, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, Patrick Reed and Bubba Watson, the top Indian golfers realise that the DP World India Championship could be a life-changer for them.

The newly constituted ‘Race to DP World India Championship’ is a competition to determine DP World PGTI Order of Merit Champion for 2026, DP World India Championship 2026 qualifiers and playing rights on the DP World PGTI for 2027. The race in its debut year, will feature non-stop golfing action on the DP World PGTI calendar in the run-up to the DP World India Championship 2026. The top 24 players of the standings will earn their spots for the DP World India Championship 2026 while the Top 60 players on the DP World PGTI Order of Merit who will retain their playing rights for the 2027 DP World PGTI season.

The nine events of the second half of the season, which concludes with the inaugural Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship in the first week of October, will finalise 24 spots for DPWIC and the R2DPWIC for 2027 will run through the full DP World PGTI calendar from next season.

Talwar currently holds a lead of more than Rs. 20 lakhs over No. 2 Jhared Hack (US), but the latter is not likely to play any more events over the next few weeks in India. Also, Talwar is more than Rs. 30 lakhs (twice what a player earns for a regular win in a Rs. One Crore event) ahead of the next best Indian, Honey Baisoya.

Yet Talwar says, “The DP World PGTI Order of Merit is not a done deal. With the OOM finishing at DGC (DP World India Championship), anything can happen. We have four events left and the last one on DP World PGTI is the Kapil Dev Invitational, which has double the Prize Money and then there is the big one – the DP World India Championship, where the prize purse is almost 38-40 times more at $4 million. So, the top Indian golfer could well walk away with the Merit honours by doing well in DP World India Championship. And I see no reason why one of us cannot do that.”

However, as Amandeep Johl, CEO of DP World PGTI confirmed, “Only one fourth of that prize money will be counted towards the DP World PGTI Order of Merit.”

Talwar added, “I am also missing the Tour Championships (Kapil Dev Invitational) as I am off to Asian Games in Japan that week. So, the DP World India Championship can be a life-changer for me and many other Indian players.”

Talwar’s compatriots Yuvraj Sandhu, Veer Ahlawat, Shubhankar Sharma and Anirban Lahiri will also be playing at DP World India Championship this year.

Talwar, who early in his career, also played on the Canadian Tour, has now decided to try and top the DP World PGTI OOM to get into the main Tour in 2027.

There has been further recognition in the form of a place in the National three-man team for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, alongside Yuvraj Sandhu and Veer Ahlawat, who before him had earned DP World Tour cards in 2026 and 2025.

This season Talwar has gained a lot of experience as he played a lot of events on the HotelPlanner (HPT), the second rung Tour in Europe, this season. At one point he had two possibly pathways to the DP World Tour for 2027.

“I had set myself a goal or threshold to try for a card through HPT, but when I was not inside that I decided to get back to India and play the DP World PGTI, where I was leading,” says Talwar.

“Then there is the DP World India Championship at the Delhi Golf Club. That golf course is close to my heart and for many others in India.

“I literally grew up on the B course, have seen every big event. As a junior I attended many of the clinics by world class players like Ernie Els and others. So, to be playing alongside the likes of Masters winners, Major champions and PGA Tour players is a great opportunity for us to showcase Indian talent.”

While admitting that the current Indian pros have not won as much as the previous generation from Jeev Milkha Singh to Jyoti Randhawa and Arjun Atwal to Anirban Lahiri, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Shiv Kapur and Shubhankar Sharma, Talwar added, “This event, the DP World India Championship is a game changer for Indian golf. This could a catalyst for Indian golf. In 10 years, we will see this as the one that changed the landscape of Indian golf.”

“We have a number of good players, but they have not translated into wins. One win could ignite that fire and then we will have a big bunch of winners.”

Hemant Kumar Ruia, Country Manager, DP World (India) Subcontinent, said: ”India is one of the largest markets in our global network, and we remain focused on strengthening our ports, rail and inland logistics network across the country. Our commitment to India extends beyond our business, and supporting the growth of sport is an important part of that commitment.

We are particularly pleased that the DP World India Championship can create genuinely life-changing opportunities for players like Saptak. With the newly named ‘Race to DP World India Championship’ providing a pathway to the DP World Tour, Indian golfers now have a clear opportunity to take their game to the next level. We are delighted to play our part in helping make that possible.”

This has been his big breakthrough year for Talwar, though he won his maiden pro title in 2025. He added a second PGTI win at the Indo-Rama Ventures Open at Kalhaar and was second in the HotelPlanner event in India. Since then, he has been a prime contender for the DP World -PGTI Order of Merit, which has multiple benefits.

And, now the DP World India Championship could see Saptak Talwar take the next big step in the big and highly competitive world of golf.

--IANS

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