Patna, March 26 (IANS) Sunit Chowrasia announced his return after a long injury layoff with a hard-earned one-shot victory at the INR 25 lakh Alpha Sports Academy Golf Championship 2026 hosted by Patna Golf Club, the fourth event of the 2026 DP World PGTI NexGen season.

Kolkata-based Sunit Chowrasia (71-65-73), nephew of the legendary SSP Chawrasia, who was the overnight leader by three shots, came up with a steady 73 in the third and final round to bag his maiden title as he totalled seven-under 209 for the week. The 31-year-old Chowrasia’s win earned him a prize money cheque worth INR 3,17,875 that lifted him from 41st to sixth position in the 2026 DP World PGTI NexGen Order of Merit.

Bipin Mukhiya (68-75-67) shot the last day’s best score of 67 to gain four spots and finish runner-up at six-under 210. Bipin’s second-place finish earned him a cheque worth INR 2,67,875, which propelled him from seventh to first position in the NexGen merit list as his season’s earnings moved to INR 5,28,688.

Divesh Rana (68), Vinay Kumar Yadav (72), and Rajesh Kumar Gautam (74) took a share of third place at three-under 213. Md Nawab had the best finish among the Patna-based professionals after he secured tied 13th place at one-over 217.

Chowrasia, who had matched the lowest round of the tournament with his 65 on day two, was not at his best on Thursday but still hung in there till the end to prevail over his nearest rivals. Sunit had a mixed front-nine with two birdies and two bogeys. Then on the back nine, he conceded one bogey but made some solid pars as well to come through as the eventual champion.

Chowrasia, who was out of action due to injury for three-and-a-half years until returning to play on the DP World PGTI in February this year, said, “As I had a comfortable lead going into round three, the plan for the final round was to play conservatively and make the most of the birdie opportunities whenever they came by. I didn’t have the best of days today, but I kept my patience in the high-pressure situation on the back nine to close out the match.

“This win is a huge confidence-booster for me, considering I have just returned from a long injury break, which kept me out of competitive golf. It’s just what I needed to resurrect my game. I had been striking the ball well over the last few events, but yesterday’s round saw all aspects of my game come together, which did wonders for my self-belief ahead of the final round here in Patna. I will carry this confidence into the season ahead,” Chowrasia said.

Amandeep Johl, CEO, Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), said, “The successful staging of the inaugural Alpha Sports Academy Golf Championship at the iconic Patna Golf Club is a huge step forward for the DP World PGTI NexGen. The tournament witnessed a high standard of competition and provided an excellent platform for emerging Indian professionals to showcase their talent. We sincerely thank Alpha Sports Academy for their continued support towards the growth of Indian golf. At the Professional Golf Tour of India, our endeavour remains to take the game to newer regions, and Patna has once again proven to be a fantastic host. We look forward to building on this momentum in the seasons ahead.”

–IANS

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