Om Prakash Chouhan outclasses rivals with late flourish at DP World Players Championship 2026. Pictures by Bibhash Lodh/BS News Agency.
Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency, Kolkata,
February 20, 2026: The seasoned Om Prakash Chouhan produced a late flourish to
outclass his rivals and seize his 12th professional win on the final day of the
INR 1.5 crore DP World Players Championship 2026 Powered by Urbana played at
the Tollygunge Club in Kolkata.
Om Prakash Chouhan (69-67-64-64), who was
overnight tied third and one shot off the lead, delivered a six-under 64 in
round four to take his tournament total to 16-under 264 and secure his first
win in over two years.
The 39-year-old Chouhan’s last day
performance featuring eight birdies and two bogeys saw him walk away with the
winning cheque worth INR 22,50,000. Om Prakash, who hails from Mhow, Madhya
Pradesh, but is attached with the Kalhaar Blues & Greens golf course in
Ahmedabad, climbed from 16th to fourth position in the DP World PGTI Order of
Merit as a result of his victory.
Shaurya Bhattacharya (64-62-73-66), the
leader for the first three days and Manu Gandas (66-69-64-66), the joint leader
after round three, finished tied second with matching totals of 15-under 265.
Both Shaurya and Manu, who were in the hunt for the title for most part of the
final round, fired scores of 66 on Friday.
Kshitij Naveed Kaul, another contender in
round four, ended the week with a 65 to finish fourth at 14-under 266. PGTI
thanks its Title Partner DP World and its Tour Partners Amul, Victorious
Choice, Campa, Amrutanjan Electro Plus, Golf Plus Monthly and Golf Design
India, for their support in growing the tour. Om Prakash Chouhan brought his
‘A’ game to the Tollygunge Club course on Friday to end his two-year-long
winless streak. Former DP World PGTI Order of merit champion ‘OP’ as he is
popularly known in golfing circles, began the last day with an early bogey on
the second hole but made a strong comeback with four birdies on the front-nine
thanks to some solid putting as he drained putts from a range of 10 to 20 feet
on three occasions. OP’s three-putt bogey on the 11th didn’t dishearten him as
he fought back once again with birdies on the next four holes. His birdie run
on the back-nine came as a result of his accurate approach shots that left him
with as many as three conversions within five feet. On the 18th hole, OP brought all his
experience to the fore to close out the match with a 10-feet par conversion.
Had Chouhan missed that all-important putt, he would’ve had to take on Shaurya
Bhattacharya and Manu Gandas in a three-way playoff. Om Prakash said, “The long
conversions on the front-nine today gave me a lot of confidence. Then, I feel
after dropping a bogey on the 11th when I birdied the 12th that provided me
with momentum and self-belief that I stood a chance and could close out the
match. While making the par putt on the 18th, I took my time to read the line
as there was a lot at stake for me. My caddied advised me on the line of the
putt and that worked out perfectly for me.
“I feel, after playing one season on the DP
World Tour, I had become a little complacent and callous about my game and my
swing also developed some glitches. I wasn’t practicing as much as I used to
earlier. But timely advice and encouragement from my wife brought me back on
track. I got back to my old routine of putting in more hours of practice. I
also started playing with a freer mind. This change in mindset and routine has
reflected in my results since the start of the 2026 season as I have bagged a
win, a top-10 and a top-20 in the three events played so far this year.”
Manu Gandas’ long birdie conversion on the
final hole helped him finish tied second. Shaurya Bhattacharya’s birdies on the
15th and 17th kept him in contention till the end before he too ended as joint
runner-up.
Among the Kolkata-based players, Divyanshu
Bajaj recorded the best finish as he took tied 25th place at three-under 277.
Honey Baisoya, the winner of the season’s
second event, continues to lead the 2026 DP World PGTI Order of Merit with
season’s earnings of INR 33,95,250.