India: 22-year-old amateur Arin Ahuja wins PGTI Q-School as 48 players earn full cards

A debut Q-School victory — and 48 cards for a new season

The DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) 2026/27 Final Qualifying Stage ended on 23 October 2026 at Kensville Golf & Country Club in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Arin Ahuja, a 22-year-old Indian amateur from Noida, won on his very first attempt at Q-School, shooting 285 (three under par) over four rounds of 70, 73, 70 and 72. His margin of victory was just one stroke.

The wider significance was the allocation of 48 full playing cards for the 2026/27 PGTI season. According to the tour, that group included four amateurs and five players from outside India — four from Bangladesh and one from Sri Lanka. The event was not simply a competition for a trophy: it was a decisive access point to professional tournament opportunities.

Three early bogeys, then a back-nine comeback

Ahuja began the last round tied for second, one shot behind the leader. His start could hardly have been less encouraging: three bogeys in the opening five holes left him fighting to stay in contention. He steadied himself with important par-saving putts on holes seven and eight. The crucial moment came at the par-five 14th, where a strong approach and a putt from roughly 12 feet produced an eagle. Birdies followed at 15 and 17, moving him into the lead. A closing bogey still left him with an even-par 72 and the title.

Two challengers finished one shot behind. India's Vedant Sirohi posted 286 (two under; 71–71–73–71), while experienced Bangladeshi Md Siddikur Rahman matched 286 (69–73–71–73). Neither could erase Ahuja's narrow edge.

An amateur preparing for a professional career

Ahuja had already won at junior level and was ranked India's No. 2 amateur in 2024. After his victory he told the PGTI that he intended to turn professional very soon. That distinction matters: he won this event as an amateur, and a stated plan to turn professional should not be reported as a completed status change.

Accuracy from the tee and keeping the ball in play have been central to his approach, but his decisive recovery in Ahmedabad was powered by short-game resilience and putting. A qualification event can easily be reduced to a list of players receiving cards; this result also offers a compelling story of a young player changing the outcome after an error-filled opening stretch.

What comes next?

The IndianOil SERVO Masters, scheduled for 17–20 November 2026 in Digboi, Assam, is set to open the PGTI's 2026/27 season. It will give new cardholders an early opportunity to test their games in regular competition. Ahuja's next task is to turn the promise of Q-School into repeatable professional results.

Reporting and verification: PGTI's official 23 October report; The Golfing Hub; Tee Time Tales. The official release contains a mathematically inconsistent four-round cut line (“15-over 203”); this article reports the verified 48 full cards but does not repeat that unverified numeric cutoff.