Aryav Shah, a 21-year-old newcomer from Kolkata, shot a four-under 68 to take the lead in the INR 25 lakh DP World PGTI NexGen 2026 tournament at the Golden Greens Golf & Country Club in Gurugram. Following closely behind are Ayaan Gupta, Lakshya Nagar, and Malaysia’s Ruhanraj Vinayagam, all tied for third place with scores of three-under 69.
Shah struggled on the front-nine with two birdies and two bogeys but rallied on the back nine, making four birdies. The tournament, spanning 54 holes, includes a field of 90 players, with the top 35 players and ties advancing after round two on Wednesday.
The NexGen Tour, initiated by the PGTI last year, aims to offer equal opportunities to all professional Indian golfers, enhancing competition and golf standards. It also seeks to promote golf in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across India. Participants from the 2026 PGTI Qualifying School are eligible to compete on the NexGen Tour this year.
The winner of the NexGen Order of Merit in 2026 will secure a spot on the main tour (DP World PGTI) for the 2027 season. The 2026 NexGen season began with the Aravalli Golf Club event in Faridabad, where Abhishek Kumar clinched victory with a remarkable eight-under 64 in the final round.
The NexGen Phillaur Open 2026 saw Armyman Rajesh Kumar Gautam triumph in a playoff at the Ranjitgarh Golf Club in Phillaur. Subsequent events were held at the Lucknow Golf Club and are scheduled for the Patna Golf Club to conclude the 2026 season. Each NexGen event’s prize purse has been raised from INR 20 lakh to INR 25 lakh this season.
