Hyderabad (Telangana)[India], September 5 (ANI): Local favourite Vishesh Sharma held his nerve through a dramatic final round to secure his maiden professional title at the Telangana Golconda Masters at Hyderabad Golf Association.
The 19-year-old closed with a one-under 69 to finish at 21-under 259, one stroke ahead of Noida’s Amardeep Malik in the tournament’s 12th edition.
Vishesh (60-66-64-69), playing his second season on the DP World PGTI, collected Rs 15 lakh. The victory lifted him from 25th to 14th on the 2026 Order of Merit, taking his season earnings to Rs 30,93,550, and secured his place in the DP World India Championship.
Malik (61-65-68-66) mounted a strong challenge with a closing four-under 66 but finished runner-up at 20-under 260. His eventful round contained an eagle on the par-five sixth, six birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey.
The 41-year-old earned Rs 10 lakh and moved from 22nd to 19th on the Order of Merit, with season earnings of Rs 27,75,748.
Chandigarh’s Akshay Sharma (69-69-63-60) matched the course record with the lowest round of the day, a 10-under 60. His round featured an eagle, 10 birdies and two bogeys, including four successive birdies from the third through the sixth. He climbed into a share of third at 19-under 261.
Delhi’s Honey Baisoya (64-64-68-65) joined Akshay in third after making seven birdies and two bogeys in a 65. He earned Rs 5,49,800 and strengthened his hold on third place in the season rankings with total earnings of Rs 57,21,892.
Vishesh began the day with a four-shot advantage, but his route to victory was far from straightforward. His 69 featured seven birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey as Malik reduced the margin to one.
“I’m over the moon. It still hasn’t completely sunk in,” Vishesh said in a release. “To claim my first professional title at 19, and to do it at my home course, makes this victory incredibly special.”
The crucial response came after his double bogey on the par-four 13th. With the tournament tightening, Vishesh made consecutive birdies on the 14th and 15th to retain his lead.
“The double bogey came down to nerves,” he said. “I hit one poor shot and then attempted a recovery that wasn’t really available, so I paid the price. But the two birdies that followed helped me hold the lead.”
A long lag putt on the 18th allowed Vishesh to complete the victory safely.
“The lag putt on the 18th was particularly important and helped me finish the job,” he said.
The title came in Vishesh’s 33rd DP World PGTI start since joining the tour last season. His previous best result was sixth place at the Boulders Classic in April.
Vishesh thanked his parents, sister and coach Sanjay Singh, along with HGA, Boulder Hills, the DP World PGTI staff, greenkeeping team, sponsors and event partners. He also credited his friends, club members and the home crowd for providing a morale boost throughout the final round.
The victory completed a journey that began when Vishesh attended a DP World PGTI event at HGA as a junior in 2021.
“I remember watching many top players that week,” he said. “To have watched the professionals here as a youngster, then compete on the same course and now win a title is difficult to put into perspective.”
Chandigarh’s Angad Cheema (66-67-66-66) finished fifth at 15-under 265, followed by Ajeetesh Sandhu (65-69-67-65) in sixth at 14-under 266. Delhi’s Rashid Khan (68-69-63-67) and Kshitij Naveed Kaul (68-66-65-68) shared seventh at 13-under 267.
Defending champion Jamal Hossain (72-66-72-68) of Bangladesh finished tied 30th at two-under 278. His final round featured a hole-in-one on the par-three third, marking a fourth ace of the week. In the second round, Abhinav Lohan and Anshul Kabthiyal had both aced the par-three 11th, while Harman Sachdeva recorded his hole-in-one on the par-three seventh.
Current DP World PGTI Rankings leader Saptak Talwar (70-67-61-71), who spent the summer competing on the HotelPlanner Tour, finished alone in 11th place at 11-under 269.
Talwar earned Rs 1,84,700 to extend his advantage at the top of the rankings, taking his season earnings to Rs 89,32,384.
The Race to DP World India Championship is a competition to crown the DP World PGTI’s number one player, and this competition will also determine the top-24 players from the DP World PGTI Order of Merit who will earn their spots at the season-ending DP World India Championship. (ANI)
Telangana Golconda Masters: Vishesh Sharma wins maiden title on home course
