Khalin Joshi (second from right) receives his trophy and cheque from Visakhapatnam East MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu (second from left), EPGA honorary secretary and Andhra Pradesh Golf Association president M.S.N. Raju (far left), EPGC treasurer P. Ramakrishna Rao and PGTI CEO Amandeep Johl. Image courtesy DP World PGTI.
By Rahul Banerji
Khalin Joshi claimed his seventh professional title in some style in the Rs 1 crore Andhra Open at East Point Golf Club in Visakhapatnam on Friday.
The 33-year-old Joshi (68-68-70-69) emerged victorious by a comfortable four-stroke margin at 9 under par 275 on the back of his third straight sub-par round, the DP World PGTI said.
The Bangalore golfer earned Rs 15 lakh to climb from 55th to 12th on the 2026 DP World PGTI Order of Merit with season earnings of Rs 18,13,875.
Chandigarh’s Akshay Sharma (70-70-74-65), a two-time winner on the tour, posted a course-record 6 under 65 to improve on his 13th place overnight and finish second on 5 under 279, four shots behind the winner.
The Andhra Open was supported by host venue EPGC and event partner Andhra Pradesh Golf Association.
Joshi began Friday’s final round with a three-shot cushion at 7 under and closed with a 2 under 69, mixing five birdies with three bogeys, to secure the title, his first in over 44 months, dating back to Coimbatore in August 2022.
Mixed bag
His final round featured a mix of steady play and timely recoveries.
A bogey on the third was a setback, but he responded immediately with a birdie after a quality approach from 80 yards to 10 feet.
He added another birdie on the eighth from just over the green and produced a crucial up-and-down on the 12th to stay in control.
Despite a couple of dropped shots on the back nine, Joshi regained momentum with birdie on 15th to steady his round. Having led since round two, he handled the pressure well down the stretch to close out the win.
Reflecting on the day, Joshi said later, “I was a bit nervous out there, especially on the back nine, but I stayed patient and trusted my process.
“Didn’t get off to the start I wanted, but I stayed committed to my approach and managed to recover well. I’m proud of how I held my nerves and closed out the round.
“My ball-striking was strong throughout the week — I controlled it well in the wind, drove it consistently and hit a lot of greens. I wasn’t in the best of putting form, but hitting those greens made the difference.”
Birdie blitz
Runner-up Akshay Sharma’s course record final round of 65 was highlighted by seven birdies and a bogey. Five of his birdies came on the back nine.
DP World PGTI Rankings leader Saptak Talwar (70-74-68-68), who won the Indorama Ventures Open last month, tied for third at 4 under 280 alongside Dubai-based Yash Majmudar (71-69-69-71).
Talwar earned Rs 5,49,800 to extend his lead atop the rankings as his season earnings moved to INR 75,80,000.
Majmudar, who employs an unconventional one-handed chipping technique, was playing his first event of the season after earning his tour card through Qualifying School in January.
Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu, who recently led Rajasthan Regals to victory at the inaugural edition of the DP World PGTI’s 72 The League, finished fifth at three-under 281.
Angad Cheema, the last winner at EPGC in 2024, finished tied for sixth on 2 under 282 alongside Honey Baisoya, Rashid Khan and Manjot Singh.
The tour now moves to Hyderabad for the inaugural Rs 1 crore Boulders Classic at the Boulder Hills Golf & Country Club from April 14 to 17.
Also read: On Moving Day, Khalin Joshi expands his lead at Andhra Open
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