Faridabad, February 26 – Abhishek Kumar produced a tournament-low score, a flawless bogey-free round of eight-under par 64 in the final round, to achieve a sensational victory from behind in the first leg of the INR 25 lakh DP World PGTI NexGen 2026, played at the Aravalli Golf Club in Faridabad, Haryana, on Thursday.
The 24-year-old from Panchkula, Abhishek Kumar (72-73-64), who was tied for 10th overnight and was eight shots behind the leader, scored eight birdies in the final round, including five in a row, to outperform all his rivals, finishing the week with a total score of seven-under par 209. This was Abhishek's first professional win.
Aditya Raj Singh Chahal (69-68-74), who was leading by five shots overnight, finished second with a total score of five-under par 211 in the season opener. Jujhar Singh (72) came in third with a score of two-under par 214.
Abhishek Kumar consistently found the green with his tee shots on the Par-4 holes, setting up birdies. Besides, he also expertly executed his iron shots and wedges, consistently landing them close to the pins. After a birdie on the second hole, he scored five consecutive birdies from the seventh to the 11th, and finally added two more on the 16th and 17th.
Aditya Raj Singh Chahal, who led after the second round, scored an eagle and a birdie on Thursday, but also conceded a bogey and two double-bogeys, which affected his chances.
Abhishek said, “My goal at the start of the day was to shoot five-under par to give myself a chance. But after scoring five consecutive birdies in the middle of the round, followed by a good par save on the 12th, I gained confidence and sensed a good opportunity to win. After scoring on the 16th and 17th, I knew that I just needed to make par on the 18th to win, and I managed to do that. My driving, iron shots, and chipping were just outstanding.”
“After my poor performance at the DP World PGTI Qualifying School in January, this win gives me a lot of self-belief. I would like to thank my sponsor, Tushar Narang, for all his support,” he added.
