17-year-old Sukhraj Gill came close to qualifying for his first PGA TOUR event
Indian-origin Canadian professional golfer Sukhraj Gill, came within inches of securing his first PGA TOUR start at the RBC Canadian Open, after a commendable performance at the British Columbia (B.C.) Regional Qualifier, held at Squamish Valley Golf Club on May 9.
The 17-year-old presently resides in Surrey, B.C. and hails from a golfing family – with cousins Digraj and Pukhraj Gill playing on the PGTI (India). Gill was tied at the top of the leaderboard in a field of 139 players but lost the playoff to a birdie that claimed the direct entry into the RBC Canadian Open, scheduled from June 5-8.
Gill will get another chance to qualify at the Final Qualifier that will be held on June 1 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, in Ontario. The top four will earn a spot in the main event from a playing field of the top 10% of finishers in the five Regional Qualifiers.
Commenting on his performance, Gill stated, “Funny how crazy this game can be. My last competitive year wasn’t the best. But today I was a shot shy of making my PGA TOUR debut.”
Arjun Atwal’s historic win in 2010
The path Gill is treading brings to mind 3-time European Tour winner Arjun Atwal, who won his maiden PGA TOUR title at the Wyndham Championship in 2010, and became the first, and only Indian native till now, to have won a PGA TOUR event. Atwal had gone through the formidable Monday qualifying route, and was the first player in 24 years to have achieved the feat.
“To win out here as a Monday qualifier is incredible. You’re just trying to play the weekend, and suddenly you’re holding a trophy.”
—Arjun Atwal after winning the 2010 Wyndham Championship
Atwal replicated his qualifying prowess in 2019 at the 3M Open, finishing T-23, and once again at the 2020 Honda Classic, where he secured a spot through one of the toughest Monday qualifiers in tour history—a field that featured 13 PGA TOUR winners, with a combined total of 23 European Tour titles, 41 Korn Ferry Tour wins, and over $212 million in cumulative PGA TOUR earnings, between them.
The Final Qualifier of the RBC Canadian Open takes place on June 1 at TPC Toronto, where the top-4 finishers earn a spot in the main event.