Visakhapatnam, April 10 (NationPress) - Khalin Joshi secured his seventh professional victory at the Rs 1 crore Andhra Open Golf Championship, held at the East Point Golf Club in Visakhapatnam, with a score of two-under 69.

Khalin, aged 33 and based in Bengaluru, finished the tournament with a total of nine-under 275 (68-68-70-69), ensuring a comfortable four-stroke lead. His impressive performance earned him Rs 15 lakh and propelled him from 55th to 12th place in the 2026 PGTI Order of Merit, bringing his season earnings to Rs 18,13,875.

A notable performance came from Chandigarh’s Akshay Sharma, who recorded a course-record final round of six-under 65 (70-70-74-65) to claim the runner-up position at five-under 279, finishing four shots behind Joshi.

It’s worth mentioning that the par-5 seventh hole was modified to a 477-yard par-4 for this tournament, effectively reducing the course par to 71.

Starting the final round with a three-shot advantage at seven-under, Joshi managed to close with a two-under 69, featuring five birdies offset by three bogeys. This victory marks his first title in over 44 months, the last being in Coimbatore in August 2022.

Joshi displayed a blend of solid play and timely recoveries throughout his final round. An early bogey on the third hole was countered by a birdie on the fourth, following a precise approach from 80 yards to 10 feet. Another birdie on the eighth and a critical up-and-down on the 12th helped him maintain his lead.

Despite facing a couple of bogeys on the back nine, Joshi regained his footing with a birdie on the 15th, which helped stabilize his performance. He effectively managed the pressure down the final stretch to secure the title.

Reflecting on his performance, Joshi expressed, “I felt a bit anxious, particularly on the back nine, but I remained patient and trusted my process. Although my start wasn't ideal, I committed to my strategy and made effective recoveries. I feel proud of how I managed my nerves and finished strong. My ball-striking was solid all week—I handled the wind well, drove consistently, and hit plenty of greens. My putting could have been better, but my accuracy on the greens made a significant difference.”

Runner-up Akshay Sharma’s record-setting final round featured seven birdies and a single bogey, with five of his birdies coming on the back nine.

Saptak Talwar (70-74-68-68), currently leading the DP World PGTI Rankings and the winner of the Indorama Ventures Open Golf Championship last month, tied for third with Dubai-based Yash Majmudar (71-69-69-71) at four-under 280.

Talwar earned Rs 5,49,800, extending his lead in the rankings as his season earnings reached Rs 75,80,000. Majmudar, who utilizes a unique one-handed chipping technique, was participating in his first event of the season after securing his tour card through Qualifying School in January.

Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu, who recently led the Rajasthan Regals to victory at the inaugural DP World PGTI’s ‘72 The League’, finished in fifth place at three-under 281.

Angad Cheema, the last winner at EPGC in 2024, finished tied for sixth place at two-under 282, alongside Honey Baisoya, Rashid Khan, and Manjot Singh.

The tour is set to continue in Hyderabad for the inaugural Rs 1 crore Boulders Classic at Boulder Hills Golf & Country Club from April 14–17.