Srinagar, Aug 02: Srinagar is set to welcome India’s leading professional golfers as the fifth edition of the J&K Open tees off at Royal Springs Golf Course from August 4 to 7.
Organisers said this year’s tournament will be the biggest so far, with the prize purse doubled to Rs 1 crore and participation from some of the country’s top golfers.
The tournament, jointly organised by Government of J&K, the J&K Tourism Department and the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (DP World PGTI), also marks the beginning of the second leg of the 2026 PGTI season.
Among the prominent names in the field are Saptak Talwar, Veer Ahlawat, Om Prakash Chouhan, Manu Gandas, defending champion Shaurya Bhattacharya and Angad Cheema. Local professionals Arindam Sudan, Faiyaz Ahmad Langoo, Adnan Mubarik Rah and Pawan Parihar will also compete before the home crowd.
Ahead of the tournament, the DP World India Championship “Lotus Trophy” was unveiled in Srinagar in the presence of Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, DP World Country Manager for the Indian Subcontinent Hemant Kumar Ruia, DP World PGTI CEO Amandeep Johl, noted cricketer Aqib Nabi and Order of Merit leader Saptak Talwar. The unveiling marked the start of the second phase of the 2026 season and reflected J&K’s growing place on India’s golfing calendar.
Speaking at the event, Wani said the J&K Open is more than a golf tournament. He said it provides an opportunity to showcase J&K’s natural beauty, warm hospitality and world class sporting infrastructure to visitors from across the country and abroad.
He said the event would strengthen J&K’s image as a preferred destination for golf, leisure and adventure tourism while creating fresh opportunities for the local tourism and hospitality sectors.
Ruia said DP World sees the tournament as a platform to promote J&K’s potential in tourism, trade and investment. He said hosting world class golf in the region would help attract greater attention to its economic and sporting opportunities.
Amandeep thanked Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the Government of J&K and the Tourism Department for extending support to the event.
He said the J&K Open has become one of the most anticipated tournaments on the tour calendar and continues to play an important role in expanding professional golf in India by giving players the chance to compete on internationally recognised courses.
A panel discussion titled “Tee Side Talk” was also held on the sidelines of the launch, where speakers discussed how partnerships between sports and industry can help promote tourism, trade and investment in J&K while strengthening its identity as a destination for international sporting events.
The tournament is part of the J&K Tourism Department’s broader effort to promote golf tourism in the Union Territory. Along with Royal Springs Golf Course, J&K is home to well-known golfing venues at Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Jammu.
Designed by renowned architect Robert Trent Jones II, the Royal Springs Golf Course overlooks the Dal Lake against the backdrop of the Zabarwan hills. Widely regarded as one of Asia’s most beautiful golf courses, it is expected to provide a fitting stage for another high-quality edition of the J&K Open.
