12th edition of Telangana Golconda Masters tees-off on September 1

The tournament was jointly announced by Jupally Krishna Rao, Honourable Minister of Prohibition & Excise, Tourism & Culture and Archaeology, Government of Telangana and Kapil Dev, President, PGTI, during a press conference held at Hyderabad Golf Association on Saturday, August 29.

The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), the official sanctioning body of professional golf in India, will be staging the Telangana Golconda Masters 2026 at the Hyderabad Golf Association (HGA) from September 1 to 4, 2026. The prize purse for the event is Rs 1 crore.

The tournament was jointly announced by Jupally Krishna Rao, Honourable Minister of Prohibition & Excise, Tourism & Culture and Archaeology, Government of Telangana and Kapil Dev, President, PGTI, during a press conference held at Hyderabad Golf Association on Saturday, August 29. The tournament, which will witness participation by 132 golfers, is supported by Event Partners Telangana Tourism, Hyderabad Golf Association, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace, The Q Golf Studio by Playroot Golf, Tour Partners DP World, Axis Bank, Amul, Enerlyte, Air India Maharaja Club, Kalyani, Golf Plus Monthly and Golf Design India. The Government of Telangana has supported the event from its inception in 2015, as per a press release.

The top Indian professionals in the fray include PGTI Order of Merit leader Saptak Talwar, Honey Baisoya, Veer Ahlawat, Rashid Khan, Akshay Sharma and Om Prakash Chouhan, to name a few. The prominent foreign players in the field are defending champion Jamal Hossain of Bangladesh; Badal Hossain, also from Bangladesh, Czech Republic's Stepan Danek; Sri Lankans N Thangaraja and Mithun Perera; Nepal's Subash Tamang; Uganda's Joshua Seale; and the Japanese duo of Koichiro Ishika and Taiga Tanaka.

The local challenge will be led by Hyderabad-based professionals Mohd Azhar, Vishesh Sharma and Rupinder Singh Gill. The tournament is part of the Race to India Championship, which is a competition to crown the PGTI's number one player. This competition will also determine the top-24 players from the Order of Merit who will earn their spots at the season-ending India Championship.

Jupally Krishna Rao, Minister of Prohibition & Excise, Tourism & Culture and Archaeology, Government of Telangana, said, "We are delighted to be associated with the 12th edition of the Telangana Golconda Masters, a prestigious tournament that has established itself as an important event on the Indian golfing calendar. With the tournament carrying Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points and attracting some of the leading professional golfers from India as well as overseas, it provides Telangana with an excellent platform to showcase its rich tourism potential to a global audience. "Hyderabad, with its unique blend of history, heritage, culture and modernity, offers tremendous opportunities for golf tourism. The magnificent Hyderabad Golf Club, located against the iconic backdrop of the historic Golconda Fort, provides a truly distinctive setting for this championship and highlights the immense potential of Telangana as a golf tourism destination.

"The Tourism Department, Government of Telangana, is proud to have been associated with the International Event - Telangana Golconda Masters for several years and looks forward to continuing this partnership to further promote golf tourism and position Telangana as a preferred destination for both domestic and international visitors. I extend a warm welcome to all the participating golfers, officials and visitors to Telangana and wish all the players an exciting and successful tournament." Kapil Dev, President, PGTI, said, "We are extremely excited to return for the 12th edition of the Telangana Golconda Masters, an event that has established itself as one of the most eagerly awaited tournaments on the DP World PGTI schedule. We are grateful to Telangana Tourism for its continued support and partnership in taking the tournament from strength to strength, and we thank the Hyderabad Golf Association for once again providing us with an excellent venue. The tournament will go a long way in promoting Telangana and the city of Hyderabad as a leading destination for golf tourism. With a strong field and great playing conditions provided by the HGA, we look forward to another exciting and closely fought contest at the Telangana Golconda Masters."

Jasvinder Singh Birgi, Captain, Hyderabad Golf Association (HGA), said, "We are honoured to host the 12th edition of the prestigious Telangana Golconda Masters at the Hyderabad Golf Association. It is a proud moment for us to welcome some of the country's finest golfing talent to our course. This tournament is a great opportunity for our members to witness top-tier competition, and it also showcases our magnificent golf course to a global audience through the Live Telecast. The players will compete to win the magnificent trophy depicting the historic Golconda Fort, which was launched by HGA during the first edition of the event. We look forward to an exciting week of world-class golf." Promoted by the Telangana Tourism Development Corporation and the Hyderabad Golf Association (HGA), the 212-acre expanse provides an 18-hole, 6017-yard, par-70 layout that also features a floodlit driving range, a pro shop, a golf fitting shop, and training & practice facilities. A modern clubhouse with a dining hall, lounge, open deck, change rooms, and trained staff is also in place.

The 'Best Tourism-Friendly Golf Course' award bestowed on it by National Tourism reiterates the pleasant experience that HGA provides. The Hyderabad Golf Club offers 18 challenging holes that bring players up close with the heritage and beauty of the Deccan hinterland - Golconda Fort and Naya Quila in particular. (ANI)