Faridabad, February 25 – Aditya Raj Singh Chahal shot a four-under 68 in the second round to build a five-shot lead, with a total of seven-under 137, at the DP World PGTI NexGen 2026, being played at the Aravalli Golf Club in Faridabad.
Aditya (69-68), who was tied for the lead overnight, had an eagle, five birdies, and three bogeys on the second day, emerging as the sole leader in the INR 25 lakh event.
Jujhar Singh (69) and Santosh Kumar (73) were tied second with totals of two-under 142. Sunny Singh (72) and Arjun Bhati (72) were tied fourth with one-under 143. The top 43 players made the cut, which was declared at six-over 150.
In Greater Noida, Saptak Talwar, playing on his home course at Jaypee Greens Golf Course, produced clutch golf in the closing stages to defeat Rashid Khan, one of the most formidable match play stars in the country, in a second-round singles match of DP World PGTI’s 72 The League.
Talwar’s Mumbai Aces recovered from a poor opening day and scored nine points against Kolkata Classics to reach 11 points.
Overnight leaders Rajasthan Regals had a less successful day, winning only one match and halving another against Charminar Champions, but the four points still kept them at the top (17 points), where they were joined by UP Prometheans.
The Prometheans were denied the solo lead by a lucky second shot from inside the trees by American Jhared Hack on the last hole. A hooked 8-iron second shot from 180 yards went straight in for an eagle, for a win that seemed impossible at one stage in the fourballs.
The 27-year-old Talwar felt a sense of accomplishment on this golf course, where he won his first title as a professional golfer last year at the Adani Invitational Golf Championship.
And Talwar once again proved the importance of playing at home. On the 16th hole, he was stuck near a tree, but somehow managed to get his ball to the green for a par. On the 17th, both players were off the greens, and Khan’s shot hit the pinflag and trickled to less than a foot. After giving him that putt, Talwar then rolled in a putt from nearly 90 feet for an incredible birdie that gave him the crucial lead.
“It was a long and stressful day. I grew up at the Delhi Golf Club, and I’ve always admired Rashid Khan. So, to defeat him here in this way was truly amazing,” said Talwar.
“And yes, this golf course is special for me. I won my first title here, and I’ve spent a lot of time here in my early years. So, this course holds a special place in my heart.”
After a fantastic win on Monday and combining well in the much tougher foursomes format (alternate ball), Rajasthan Regals’ Chikkarangappa S and Dhruv Sheoran were the only pair to be retained for the second round. The duo repaid the faith of captain Ajeetesh Sandhu, beating Anshul Patel and Vishesh Sharma 4&2 in a match where they were in control throughout.
In-form Shubham Jaglan and American Dominic Piccirillo secured three points for Charminar Champions, beating K Prabagaran and Yuvraj Singh 2&1 in the foursomes.
Jaglan later revealed their secret: “We communicated very well. Before the match, we told each other that we wouldn’t apologize if either of us put the other in a bad position. Actually, nobody wanted to put their partner in trouble with their shots. It just happens. And that was a good strategy.”
The third round of the league will be played on Wednesday at Jaypee Greens Golf Course in Noida. Rajasthan Regals will take on Mumbai Aces, while the other two matches will be between Kolkata Classics and UP Prometheans and Nava Raipur will be up against Charminar Champions.
