Dubai-born Rayhan Thomas held his nerve to clinch his first professional title, winning the KGiSL Presents Coimbatore Open on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) on Saturday.
Turning pro in June, Thomas secured victory with a composed final round of 68, finishing at 14-under-par 274 across four rounds.
In his PGTI debut, made possible through a tournament invite, the 24-year-old posted opening rounds of 70 and 67 before finally edging past 2022 TATA Steel PGTI Rankings champion Manu Gandas by a single stroke.
Starting the final round one shot behind the leader, Thomas fired birdies on holes 5, 7, and 9, despite battling the strong winds.
He continued his momentum with birdies on 13, 15, and 16, followed by a clutch one-putt bogey on the 390-yard, par-4 17th, and a steady par on the final hole to seal the win.
It marks his first victory as a professional, with this tournament marking his fourth event in the paid ranks.
Turning Pro
After a standout amateur career in the UAE, where he claimed titles on the MENA Tour, local Opens, and multiple Emirates Golf Federation Order of Merit events, Thomas turned professional following a five-year golf scholarship at Oklahoma State University.
“When I saw my game progress the last year, I thought I could definitely do this,” Thomas told Worldwide Golf about his decision to turn professional. “If I keep progressing the way I am, I will end up playing on one of the big Tours.
“I really enjoy the game, I love playing it, so why not try and play it for the rest of my life?
“There’s huge upside to being good at golf. You can make a bunch of money and do good things, but at the end of the day you’re not doing anything like curing cancer, or going to the Moon, so you’ve just to relax and enjoy it.”
His next appearance will be at the DP World Tour Qualifying School, followed by the Korn Ferry Qualifying School in the US.
