Published: August 24, 2026 at 9:47 pm
Global logistics leader DP World and India’s premier men’s professional tour DP World PGTI on Monday jointly announced the launch of the Race to DP World India Championship, a season-long competition that will serve as the defining storyline of the 2026 DP World PGTI season.
The ‘Race to DP World India Championship’ will determine the season’s top performers and their pathway to the prestigious DP World India Championship 2026, creating a compelling finish to the season and restructuring the DP World PGTI calendar in order to align it with the DP World Tour calendar thus creating more playing opportunities for DP World PGTI members.
Under the new format, unlike previous seasons, the 2026 DP World PGTI Order of Merit Champion will be decided after the completion of the DP World India Championship scheduled to be held at the Delhi Golf Club from October 15 to 18, ensuring that the $4 million season-finale plays a decisive role in determining the year’s ultimate champion.
The Race to DP World India Championship will feature non-stop golfing action on the DP World PGTI calendar in the run-up to the DP World India Championship 2026. The nine tournaments featuring in the Race are set to offer a combined prize purse of Rs 10 crore thus taking the season’s total prize purse to Rs 41 crore.
The first three events of the Race, J&K Open, Coal India Open and Kolar Open, have already concluded as they were held in the first three weeks of August. The Race will conclude with the inaugural Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship which will be held at Jaypee Greens, Greater Noida, from September 30 to October 3.
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At the end of the Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship, the last DP World PGTI event scheduled to be staged prior to the DP World India Championship 2026, the following season milestones will be confirmed:
The Top 24 players on the Race to DP World India Championship standings who will earn their spots for the DP World India Championship 2026
The Top 60 players on the DP World PGTI Order of Merit who will retain their playing rights for the 2027 DP World PGTI season
The DP World PGTI Order of Merit Champion will be honoured during the prize presentation ceremony of the DP World India Championship 2026.
The introduction of the Race to DP World India Championship also brings a significant change to the DP World PGTI calendar. Beginning in 2026, the DP World PGTI season will conclude with the DP World India Championship in October, instead of extending till December as in previous years.
This revised schedule aligns the DP World PGTI calendar much more closely with that of the DP World Tour. The synchronisation of the two seasons will enable the DP World PGTI Order of Merit Champion to transition more seamlessly onto the DP World Tour and maximise playing opportunities immediately after securing exempt status.
Race to DP World India Championship is a great initiative: Kapil
Kapil Dev, president, DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (DP World PGTI), said: “The Race to DP World India Championship is a great initiative and reflects our shared vision with DP World of strengthening the pathway from Indian golf to the global stage. The Race introduces a fascinating season-long contest which will reward consistency, raise the competitive standard throughout the season and further enhance the significance of the DP World India Championship. Aligning our season with the DP World Tour creates greater opportunities for our leading players to make an immediate impact internationally. I wish the players all the best for the Race to DP World India Championship.”
“At DP World, we are committed to strengthening India’s sporting ecosystem and creating meaningful pathways for homegrown talent to compete on the global stage. The Race to the DP World India Championship, in partnership with DP World PGTI, reflects that ambition by giving India’s leading golfers the opportunity to earn their place alongside some of the world’s best. India is one of DP World’s most important markets, and we are proud to play a role in growing the game and supporting the next generation of sporting talent. We look forward to welcoming India’s finest golfers to Delhi Golf Club this October for the DP World India Championship, where they will have the opportunity to test themselves against a world-class field,” said Hemant Kumar Ruia, country manager subcontinent (India), DP World.
The nine DP World PGTI events featuring in the Race to DP World India Championship 2026 are: J&K Open at Royal Springs Golf Course in Srinagar (Aug 4 – 7), Coal India Open in Kolkata (Aug 11 – 14), Kolar Open at ZION Hills Golf County, Kolar, Karnataka (Aug 18 – 21), Telangana Open at Vooty Golf County, Vikarabad, Telangana (Aug 25 – 28), Golconda Masters at Hyderabad Golf Association (Sept 1 – 4), Chennai Open at TNGF Cosmo Golf Course (Sept 8 – 11), Nava Raipur Open at Fairway Golf & Lake Resort, Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh (Sept 15 – 18), Bengaluru Open at Karnataka Golf Association (Sept 22 – 25) and Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship at Jaypee Greens, Greater Noida (Sept 30 – Oct 3).
The Golconda Masters returns for its 12th edition, while both the Chennai Open and Bengaluru Open return for their fifth editions. The Nava Raipur Open and Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship make their debut on the DP World PGTI schedule.
Following the conclusion of the DP World India Championship 2026, the new DP World PGTI season will commence, marking the beginning of the next Race to DP World India Championship 2027.
As part of the season-ending celebrations, DP World and DP World PGTI will also host a Pro-Am event at Delhi Golf Club on the day following the DP World India Championship. The Pro-Am will be followed by the prize presentation function in the evening, where the DP World PGTI Order of Merit Champion and the DP World PGTI Emerging Player of the Year will be felicitated.
