Om Prakash Chouhan wins it with a late flourish at the Tolly

Om Prakash Chouhan (centre) receives his trophy and check from BNRI MD and Keventers CMD Mayank Jalan at the Tollygunge Club in Kolkata on Friday. Image courtesy of DP World PGTI.

By Rahul Banerji

Om Prakash Chouhan produced a late series and won his 12^e professional title at the Rs 1.5 crore DP World Players Championship in Kolkata on Friday.

The former Order of Merit champion climbed to third place overnight to seal the result on the 18th hole of the event powered by Urbana at Tollygunge Club, the DP World PGTI said.

Chouhan (69-67-64-64) put a shot behind joint leaders Shaurya Bhatttacharya and Manu Gandas to deliver a 6-under par card in round four, taking his tournament total to 16-under 264.

It was the 39-year-old’s first victory in more than two years and his closing par putt ensured the two leaders would share second place overnight at 15-under 165.

Chouhan’s final run featured eight birdies against two bogeys and saw him collect a winner’s check worth Rs 22.5 lakh, moving the Mhow golfer from 16th to fourth on the DP World PGTI Order of Merit.

Bhattacharya (64-62-73-66), the leader through the first three days, and Gandas (66-69-64-66) battled with Chouhan over the final set of holes before settling for second.

Kshitij Naveed Kaul, another final day contender, ended the week with a 65 to finish fourth at 14 under 266.

Top game

The experienced Chouhan brought his ‘A’ game to the Tollygunge Club court on Friday and ended his two-year winless streak.

‘OP’, as he is popularly known, bogeyed the second hole but made a strong comeback with four birdies on the front nine thanks to a solid putt as he drained three putts from between 10 and 20 feet.

OP’s three-putt bogey on 11 saw him fight back again with birdies on the next four holes, with a precise approach game giving him three conversions from within five feet.

On 18 OP brought all his experience into play to finish with a par conversion from 3 meters. Had he missed, there would have been a three-way play-off with Bhattacharya and Gandas.

“The long conversions on the front nine today gave me a lot of confidence,” said a delighted Chouhan later.

“Then, after dropping a bogey on 11, I birdied 12^, it gave me momentum and confidence that I had a chance and could close the match.

“While making the par putt on 18, I took the time to read the line as the stakes were high. My caddy advised me on the line of the putt and it worked perfectly.

Complacent approach

“I feel like after playing one season on the DP World Tour, I had become a little complacent about my game and my swing was also showing some issues.

“I didn’t practice as much as before. But timely advice and encouragement from my wife got me back on track.

“I returned to my old routine of practicing more hours and also started playing with a freer mind.

“The change in mentality and routine is reflected in my results since the start of the 2026 season, as I have achieved a win, a top-10 and a top-20 in the three events so far this year.”

Gandas’ long birdie conversion on the final hole helped him finish in a tie for second place, while Bhattacharya’s birdies on 15 and 17 kept him in contention until the end.

Among the players from Kolkata, Divyanshu Bajaj achieved the best finish at joint 25th position^e place at 3 under 277.

Honey Baisoya, winner of the second event of the season, continues to top the DP World PGTI Order of Merit 2026 with season winnings of Rs 33,95,250.

Also read: Gandas joins deviant Bhattacharya at the top of the Tolly leaderboard

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