Amateur Pritish Singh, 17, wins Pre-Qualifying II with an impressive six-shot margin; 38 players qualify for Final Stage

Ahmedabad, Jan 21 (IANS) The 17-year-old amateur Pritish Singh Karayat returned a three-under 69 in the second round that helped him finish on top at Pre-Qualifying II of the PGTI Qualifying School 2026 being played at the Kensville Golf & Country Club in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. 

Karayat (65-69), who hails from the Delhi Golf Club, ended up with a total of 10-under 134 to finish a massive six shots clear of the rest of the field. From a total field of 135 in Pre-Qualifying II, the top 38 players qualified for the Final Qualifying Stage as the cut was declared at five-over 149.

Pritish, the overnight leader by five shots, came up with four birdies and a bogey during his second round of 69 to stamp his authority at Pre Q II. Pritish, who has been part of the Indian team at the junior and amateur levels and a winner on the amateur circuit, made a number of 10 to 12-foot conversions on Wednesday.

“I hit good tee shots and made a lot of regulations once again today. The only disappointment was missing out on a few conversions on the greens, as I had five lip-outs. However, the good start in round one got me into a good rhythm, and I was quite relaxed on the course today. Winning by a big margin gives me a lot of confidence going into the Final Stage,” Pritish said.

Amateur Mahir Rakha (73-67) finished second at a total of four-under 140. Seasoned professional Gurki Shergill (70-71) finished a further shot behind in third place. Nazir Ali of Kolkata, who missed the cut for the Final Stage, made a hole-in-one on the 11th during his second round of 73.

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.

This year’s Qualifying School event started with over 450 golfers, and besides Indian participants, this year’s Qualifying School also features as many as 39 golfers from foreign countries.

The First Stage of the Qualifying School comprises three 36-hole events – Pre-Qualifying I, Pre-Qualifying II, and Pre-Qualifying III. While Pre-Qualifying I started on January 17 – 18, Pre-Qualifying II will be held on January 20 and 21, and Pre-Qualifying III takes place on January 23 and 24.

A total 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.

--IANS

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