India’s Shubham Jaglan won the DP World PGTI Qualifying School by five shots after closing with a two-under 70 in the final round at Kensville Golf & Country Club in Ahmedabad.
Jaglan, a two-time runner-up on the PGTI last season, finished at six-under 282 (72-71-69-70). American Jhared Hack was runner-up at one-under 287, while Ajay Baisoya’s week-low 65 helped him place third at two-over 290.
The bigger storyline, though, was the continued rise in overseas participation. Ten foreigners were among the 47 players who earned full cards for the 2026 season — including two Americans, two Japanese, two Sri Lankans, and players from Zambia, Uganda, Ireland and Nepal.
The trend isn’t new. While the PGTI Qualifying School began in 2014 (with available data from 2016), international entrants have been turning up for nearly a decade, including South Africans who started attempting qualifiers from 2016. The COVID-affected years of 2020–21 saw no overseas participation, before players from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka returned in 2022.
The international footprint has grown further in recent editions. The 2023 season saw 14 international players participate, including Andorra’s Kevin Esteve Rigail — a 2010 Winter Olympian in skiing — who went on to play two full seasons on the PGTI in 2023–24. In 2024, 10 foreigners were among the 36 card-winners. In 2025, 12 foreigners reached the Final Stage and eight secured cards, led by Bangladesh with five qualifiers.
Hack said opportunity and accessibility drew him to India after narrowly missing out on Korn Ferry qualifying.
“I had a good friend of mine play the tour last year. So luckily for me he went through the growing pains for me, and he’s come back over as well. I missed at second stage of Korn Ferry qualifying and was told about the great opportunities this tour provides. I decided to try my luck!” Hack said.
“Kensville is a very good course for my game and the conditions are playing dry and firm, which is also nice for me. I stayed patient and played very conservative off the tee, made some nice birdie putts and took care of the easier par 5s. I’m excited to get to play the same course for finals with the conditions likely only firming up more. The tour staff, the other players, and in general everyone I’ve met have been very kind. I look forward to the great opportunities this season on PGTI.”
A key catalyst has been the PGTI’s MOU with the DP World Tour, which sends the No. 1 player on the PGTI rankings to compete for a full season on the DP World Tour — a pathway that has helped attract more hopefuls from the USA and Europe, including countries such as Italy and France.
Among the notable Indian stories was 16-year-old Kartik Singh, who finished tied seventh at six-over 294 (71-74-75-74) to earn full playing rights for 2026.
Kartik turned professional in 2025 to join the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL), where he impressed in the inaugural season with a fourth-place finish in the season rankings. That earned him a spot in the Asian Tour Qualifying Final Stage, where he secured Asian Development Tour status, narrowly missing out on an Asian Tour card.
Now back through the PGTI Qualifying School, Kartik’s transition into a deeper, more competitive domestic tour will be closely watched.
The final-round cut fell at 17-over 305, with the top 47 — including seven amateurs — earning full playing rights for the 2026 DP World PGTI season.
