Three-way tie for lead at NexGen’s season opener in Faridabad

Day one co-leader Santosh Kumar in action at the NexGen Tour season opener in Faridabad on Tuesday. Image courtesy of DP World PGTI.

By Rahul Banerji

Aditya Raj Singh Chahal, Vipin Raghuvanshi and Santosh Kumar shared the lead after the first round of the DP World PGTI NexGen event in Faridabad on Tuesday.

The three all scored a 3-under-par 69 at Aravalli Golf Club in the series’ season opener, according to the DP World PGTI.

Ramesh Kumar, Divesh Rana, Lakshya Nagar and Pranav Kaul were one shot away from the lead in shared fourth place.

Chahal carded an eagle, four birdies and three bogeys, while Raghuvanshi had an eagle, two birdies and a bogey.

Santosh Kumar bowled an eagle, three birdies and two bogeys in the Rs 25 lakh event.

The 54-hole event has a field of 72, with the top 35 and a tie at the end of the second round on Wednesday.

The NexGen Tour was launched last year to provide equal playing opportunities to professional golfers in India and increase bench strength in Indian golf.

Distribution wide

The series also aims to bring professional golf to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to expand the reach of the sport in the country.

The prize money for each NexGen event has been increased from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh this season.

Participants in the 2026 DP World PGTI Qualifying School are eligible to play on the NexGen Tour in 2026.

This year’s NexGen Order of Merit winner will receive an exemption from the main tour (DP World PGTI) for the 2027 season.

The second NexGen event presented by RS Gill will be played at the Ranjitgarh Golf Club in Phillaur from March 3 to 5.

The next three events are at Lucknow Golf Club (March 10 to 12), Golden Greens Golf & Country Club in Gurgaon (March 17 to 19) and Patna Golf Club (March 24 to 26).

“After the great success of the DP World PGTI NexGen in 2025, we are excited about the 2026 NexGen season,” said Tour CEO Amandeep Johl.

“The competition is expected to be more intense as this year there is an extremely talented crop of young golfers who have completed the DP World PGTI Qualifying School.

“The improved prize money is an added incentive. The NexGen series is part of our President Kapil Dev’s vision to spread the game to all parts of the country, especially the Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.”

Also read: Om Prakash Chouhan wins with a late flourish at the Tolly

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