Md Siddikur Rahman leads PGTI Final Qualifying with 69

PGTI Tour: Md Siddikur Rahman fires 69 to emerge first-round leader at Final Qualifying Stage

Ahmedabad, Oct 20

Four golfers were tied for second place with scores of 70. This group included Indians Arindam Sudan, Chetan Baisoya, Sumit Kotwal and amateur Arin Ahuja.

Forty-one-year-old Md Siddikur Rahman, a winner of multiple international titles and a seven-time winner on the DP World PGTI, put together five birdies and two bogeys in his opening round effort.

Siddikur said, "It was all about my putting today, as that was the best aspect of my game. I recently changed my putter and the new putter did the job for me today. I also made a great up-and-down from the rough for birdie on the ninth, my finishing hole today.

"I started my career on the DP World PGTI and have great memories of playing in India. I'm now excited about returning to the DP World PGTI after a long gap. This is now a very lucrative tour and offers great opportunities for professionals from India as well as from overseas like myself."

The top 80 players (+ ties) out of a total field of 123 golfers will make the cut after round two of the Final Qualifying Stage. At the end of round four, the top 48 players will earn their full cards for the 2026-27 DP World PGTI season.

The 2026 PGTI Final Order of Merit will only be determined after the last 2026 season event. Players finishing in 61st to 100th position will be determined then.

The Qualifying Tournament traditionally attracts around 450 players, with approximately 35 to 40 earning full playing rights on the DP World PGTI for the following year. Recent editions have also seen increasing participation from international professionals looking to secure playing opportunities in India.

Another major change is the timing. Usually conducted in January and February, the 2026-27 Qualifying Tournament will instead run from October 6-23, with the 2026 season coming to an end at the DP World India Championship.

— IANS