New Delhi, 18 October 2026: Saptak Talwar has been crowned the 2026 DP World PGTI Order of Merit champion after finishing the season with earnings of INR 1,02,47,684, earning him a card on the DP World Tour for 2027.
The 27-year-old from the Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort in Greater Noida finished first in the Race to DP World India Championship by a clear margin. He completed his season with a tie for 55th at one-under 287 (71-73-72-71) at the DP World India Championship at Delhi Golf Club on Sunday.
Khalin Joshi, who won four titles this year, finished second on the Order of Merit with INR 77,32,225.
A consistent year
Talwar won the Indorama Ventures Open in March, finished tied second at the DP World PGTI Open, an event co-sanctioned with the HotelPlanner Tour, and recorded six other top-10 finishes. He also represented India at the Asian Games.
“It has been a consistent year, and I have grown a lot as a golfer. Much of that has come from moving between the DP World PGTI and the HotelPlanner Tour,” he said.
“This is my fourth year on the DP World PGTI, and travelling across the country has taught me a lot, about myself and from other players. I have already started putting those lessons into practice and will continue doing so. There are plenty of positives to build on, along with areas I still need to tidy up.”
Straight to the DP World Tour
Under this year’s new arrangement, the Order of Merit champion moves directly onto the DP World Tour from the start of the next season. Talwar follows Manu Gandas, Om Prakash Chouhan, Veer Ahlawat and Yuvraj Sandhu as Order of Merit winners.
He praised the depth on the domestic tour. “It is encouraging to see someone like Khalin win four times, along with other multiple winners. It keeps everyone on their toes,” he said. “When you compete overseas, you do not want to be surprised by the standard. You have to keep improving. This is not the final destination; you need to keep growing.”
Talwar said he had spoken at length with Veer, Shubhankar and other players about life on the European circuit, and that he enjoyed playing in Europe’s weather. “Tougher conditions tend to keep me more present,” he said.
A hard week at home
On his week at Delhi Golf Club, he said: “Before the week, it was not so much the field I was thinking about as this daunting golf course. It is difficult even without the rough, but the setup this week made it four stressful days. I thought I played well from tee to green, but the putter just did not cooperate enough.”
His mother, father and sister followed him on Sunday. “This is the culmination of a lot of good work throughout the year. I am very happy my family could be here to share it, especially at a course that means a lot to me,” he said.
Kartik Singh named Emerging Player
Sixteen-year-old Gurugram rookie Kartik Singh won the DP World PGTI Emerging Player of the Year award. His earnings of INR 33,00,660 were the highest among rookies and placed him 20th on the Order of Merit, helped by two top-10 finishes. Read the DP World India Championship final-round report.
