Golfer Pukhraj Singh Gill has arrived on the international stage with purpose. Fresh off his maiden international title at the 2026 ADT Players Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the 29-year-old from Chandigarh is currently ranked third on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit and is targeting a full Asian Tour card. His next assignment is the IGPL Morocco Rising Stars at Mazagan Beach Golf Resort.

The Breakthrough and What Built It

Gill turned professional in 2018 and spent his early years accumulating losses as much as lessons. He won his first domestic title at the 2025 IGPL Invitational Jamshedpur and followed it up by clinching the 2025 IGPL Order of Merit. His Kuala Lumpur triumph — a dramatic comeback — made him only the second IGPL player to win on the ADT, after Karandeep Kochhar, who previously won an ADT event in Egypt.

'I think it comes back to the age-old learning that you learn more from your losses than your wins,' Gill said, reflecting on a career that stretches over two decades from the age of eight or nine. 'Over the last two or three years, I think I've harnessed my potential very well.'

Jeev Milkha Singh's Influence: Mentality Over Mechanics

Central to Gill's development has been his relationship with golf legend Jeev Milkha Singh, who is associated with IGPL as a mentor and shares Gill's home ground of Chandigarh Golf Club. For Gill, the lessons go beyond swing mechanics.

'It's his mentality more than anything,' Gill said. 'He's been playing actively for 30–35 years now. He went through a long drought before he won the IGPL event in Sri Lanka last year. You can always imagine that someone even at his age can try and get the better of you sometimes. That is very inspirational.'

Gill added that every interaction with Singh yields 'a few words of wisdom,' and that the veteran's sustained love for the game is itself a form of coaching.

Family Roots and a Father's Hockey Lessons

Gill's mental resilience also draws from his father's background as a national hockey player. The core lesson, he says, is deceptively simple: patience and hard work. 'When you're going through a rough patch, you just keep working and stay at it and keep believing,' he said.

His brother also competes in the IGBL, and the two maintain what Gill describes as a healthy balance — fiercely competitive on the course, supportive off it. 'We do have contrasting styles, but we are able to share our thoughts when it comes to game plan, short game, and putting,' he noted.

Morocco and the Road to the Asian Tour

Heading into the IGPL Morocco Rising Stars, Gill's preparation centres on maintaining the aggressive mindset that delivered his ADT title. 'I'd love to taste that again,' he said. 'My game plan for Morocco is to go out there and play as aggressively as I can and use my advantages in ball striking.'

Three years of international exposure through the AM Green IGPL calendar have given him a comfort level on overseas courses that he credits as a genuine edge. He adapts by seeking out courses that demand longer drives, mirroring conditions he will face abroad.

Golf's Growing Audience in a Cricket-First Nation

Gill acknowledged the broader conversation about recognition for non-cricket athletes in India — a debate recently reignited by shuttler Satwiksairaj Rankireddy's remarks about the Thomas Cup team's quiet homecoming. He is, however, measured in his assessment. 'The multi-sport-following audience is definitely out there,' he said, crediting Yuvraj Singh's golf promotion efforts and Leander Paes introducing the sport to new audiences for expanding golf's fan base.

'It's not as lucrative maybe,' Gill conceded, 'but there's definitely a great recognition and fan following being introduced to our game.' With a full Asian Tour card potentially within reach, Gill's story is fast becoming one of Indian golf's most compelling narratives of 2026.