The PGTI Qualifying School 2026 began at the Kensville Golf & Country Club in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
Rajesh Kumar shot a three-under 69 to emerge leader after round one of Pre-Qualifying I.
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Rajesh, who hails from Panchkula, garnered six birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey to take the top honours on day one.
Five players were tied in second place at one-under 71. This bunch of five players included Md Nawab, Rishi Raj Singh Rathore, amateurs Aryav Shah and Shubham Kumar and Uganda’s Marvin Kibirige.
The Qualifying School, which marks the beginning of each PGTI season, is one of the most important events on the PGTI calendar as it is the only route for players to qualify to play on the PGTI in a particular season. The tournament determines the criteria for players for the whole season.
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This year’s Qualifying School event will witness participation by over 450 golfers.
Besides Indian golfers, this year’s Qualifying School will also feature as many as 39 golfers from foreign countries.
The First Stage of the Qualifying School will comprise of three 36-hole events – Pre-Qualifying I, Pre-Qualifying II and Pre-Qualifying III. While Pre-Qualifying I will be staged on January 17 – 18, Pre-Qualifying II will be held on January 20 – 21 and Pre-Qualifying III takes place on January 23 – 24.
A total field of 77 players from the First Stage (Pre-Qualifying) will go through to the Final Stage.
The qualifiers from the First Stage will join the exempt players in the Final Stage which is scheduled to be held from January 27 – 30.
At the end of the Final Stage, the top qualifiers with a specific cut-off will earn their full cards for the 2026 PGTI season. The Final Stage offers a total prize purse of INR 10 lakh.
