Some droughts end quietly. This one ended with a closing round of five-under 67 that Rashid Khan will remember for a long time. The Delhi golfer went into the final day at Vooty Golf County in Vikarabad two shots behind overnight leader Angad Cheema, and by the time the last putt dropped, he had turned that deficit into a comfortable three-shot victory at 23-under 265 in the Rs 1 crore Telangana Open 2026.
It was Rashid’s first DP World PGTI title since May 2019, a gap of seven years that had tested his game, his patience, and by his own admission, his belief in himself.
How Rashid Khan Overcame a Rough Start to Win Telangana Open 2026
The final round did not begin the way a champion’s day usually does. Rashid opened with bogeys on the first two holes, the kind of start that can unravel a round before it has properly begun. Instead, he answered immediately, reeling off three consecutive birdies from the third through the fifth, and added another on the eighth to push himself into contention just as the pressure at the top of the leaderboard began to mount.
From there, the 35-year-old kept finding shots when they mattered most, closing out the tournament with a four-round tally of 66-67-65-67 that left the rest of the field playing catch-up on a golf course that had already produced its share of low scores across the week, including Cheema’s own career-best 61 in the second round.
Honey Baisoya Fires Best Final-Round Score but Falls Short in Vikarabad
The chasing pack did not go down without a fight. Delhi’s Honey Baisoya, who had won the DP World Players Championship at Qutab Golf Course back in February, produced the best final-round score among the leading contenders, carding a seven-under 65 built on nine birdies against just two bogeys. It was enough to secure second place at 20-under 268, but never quite enough to seriously threaten Rashid’s advantage once the Delhi golfer found his rhythm.
Cheema, who had led for much of the tournament and briefly looked the man to beat after his blistering 61, could not quite hold on over the closing stretch, ultimately finishing outside the top two despite a tournament that included several standout rounds and a genuine chance at his fifth PGTI title.
What the Telangana Open Win Means for Rashid Khan’s Career and Rankings
The victory carries plenty of weight beyond the trophy itself. It marks Rashid’s 15th professional title overall and his 11th win specifically on the DP World PGTI, numbers that place him firmly among the most successful golfers to have come through the Indian domestic circuit. The winner’s cheque of Rs 15 lakh also pushed his season earnings to Rs 44,95,509, lifting him to sixth place on the 2026 DP World PGTI Order of Merit with the season still very much alive.
Speaking after his round, Rashid did not hide how much the win meant to him. “I can’t describe how I’m feeling right now,” he said. “It has been seven years since my last win, and I struggled a lot with my game during that period. I went through many ups and downs, but I also learned a great deal. Once you come through a phase like that, you understand what you need to do.”
Rashid Khan Return to Winning Ways After Years of Struggle on Tour
For a two-time Asian Tour winner and three-time PGTI Order of Merit champion, seven years without a title is a long stretch by any measure, and Rashid’s willingness to speak openly about the ups and downs of that period only added to how the win landed with those following the tournament. It is the kind of story that tends to resonate well beyond the leaderboard, a reminder that even accomplished players go through extended stretches of self-doubt before finding their way back.
With the DP World PGTI season still building toward its climax and the newly introduced Race to India Championship offering leading Order of Merit players a marquee event to aim for, Rashid’s win in Vikarabad could not have come at a better time for his own momentum heading into the closing months of the year. Vegas11 News will continue tracking Rashid Khan and the rest of the DP World PGTI field as the season moves toward its business end.