New Delhi, Oct 12 (IANS) Recent experience competing against Asia’s leading golfers at the Asian Games could prove valuable for Saptak Talwar, Veer Ahlawat and Yuvraj Sandhu as the Indian trio prepares for the India Championship at Delhi Golf Club from October 15 to 18.
Although India’s men’s team returned from Aichi-Nagoya without a medal, the competition offered the three golfers an opportunity to test themselves against a strong international field under pressure. Talwar and Ahlawat finished tied-sixth in the individual standings, while Sandhu placed tied-24th. India also finished sixth in the team competition.
The Asian Games field included South Korean Tom Kim, the eventual winner, and Japan’s Keita Nakajima, a former Indian Open champion who is set to join the PGA Tour.
The experience comes at an important juncture for the Indian golfers, who will now compete against an elite international line-up at the India Championship. Co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), the tournament carries a USD 4 million prize fund, the largest for a DP World Tour event in India.
The field includes Rory McIlroy, defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, 2026 Open champion Ryan Fox, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, Patrick Reed, Luke Donald and PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai.
For Talwar, the tournament offers another opportunity to build on a consistent domestic season. The 27-year-old leads the PGTI Order of Merit after winning the Indorama Ventures Open and recording several strong finishes, including runner-up honours at the PGTI Open and third place at the Andhra Open. He has also registered top-10 finishes at the J&K Open, Kolar and Chennai, along with a shared third place with Ahlawat at the Bengaluru Open.
Talwar carried that form into the Asian Games, opening with a four-under 66 to sit third before finishing tied-sixth after four rounds. His experience on the HotelPlanner Tour this year has also exposed him to a higher level of competition as he pursues a move to the DP World Tour next season.
Ahlawat, the 2024 PGTI Order of Merit champion, has enjoyed a consistent campaign of his own. Although he is yet to win this season, he has recorded nine top-10 finishes, including seven top-five results in 12 starts.
His performances included top-10 finishes at the Telangana Open, Telangana Golconda Masters, Chennai Open and Nava Raipur Open, before he shared third place with Talwar in Bengaluru.
At the Asian Games, Ahlawat recovered from an opening-round 71 with a 68 before producing a five-under 65 in the third round. He closed with a 67 to finish tied-sixth at nine-under 271, matching Talwar’s overall position.
Sandhu, meanwhile, arrives with experience gained through a full season on the DP World Tour after winning the 2025 PGTI Order of Merit. His transition to the European circuit has presented challenges, but he registered his best result of the season with a tied-13th finish at the FedEx Open de France shortly before the Asian Games.
Rounds of 67, 68, 69 and 69 took Sandhu to 11-under 273 in France. He travelled directly to Nagoya afterwards, where adverse weather limited his preparation time before the Asian Games competition.
The India Championship now offers Sandhu an opportunity to build on that performance while competing on familiar territory against many of the players he has encountered on the international circuit.
The Indian challenge will extend beyond the trio, with Khalin Joshi, Shaurya Bhattacharya, Shubhankar Sharma and Anirban Lahiri also adding to the home representation.
With recent international exposure, strong domestic results and the advantage of competing at home, Talwar, Ahlawat and Sandhu will look to translate their experience into a competitive showing at one of the biggest DP World Tour events staged in India.
–IANS
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