Manav Shah created history for the Indian Golf Premier League after becoming the first player from the tour to qualify for a major championship since the league began last year.
The Indian American golfer secured his place in the 2026 US Open through the challenging 36 hole final qualifying event held at Dallas Athletic Club.
Shah carded impressive rounds of 66 and 71 to finish at five under par, earning fourth place overall and booking one of the available spots for the season’s third major championship.
The tournament will be played at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.
Strong IGPL season continues for Shah
The 33 year old has emerged as one of the standout performers on the IGPL circuit this season.
In just four appearances during 2026, Shah has already registered three top seven finishes along with another tied 11th result.
His strong form in the league has come alongside appearances on the Asian Development Tour and the Asian Tour, where he has continued competing against international fields.
After confirming qualification for the US Open, Shah described playing in a major championship as a dream achievement and said the moment felt especially rewarding after years of hard work.
Growing success for golfers of Indian origin
Shah’s qualification adds to the growing prominence of golfers of Indian origin on the global stage.
Recently, Aaron Rai captured his first major title at the PGA Championship, further highlighting the rise of Indian origin players in world golf.
Born to Indian origin parents, Shah grew up in Bakersfield, where he developed his game on municipal golf courses before joining the UCLA Bruins golf programme.
He graduated from the University of California Los Angeles in 2015 with a degree in Political Science.
Professional career milestones
Over the course of his professional journey, Shah has won eight tournaments worldwide.
His breakthrough moment came in 2022 when he won the Quito Open on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica.
The victory made him only the second Indian American golfer to win a PGA Tour-sanctioned event after Arjun Atwal, who famously captured the Wyndham Championship in 2010.
Shah has also earned full playing status on the Asian Tour through Q School qualification and recently competed in International Series events while continuing to feature regularly in India through the IGPL.
Other qualifiers and notable exits
The Dallas qualifying event was topped by Peter Uihlein, while Tom Kim finished second and Cooper Dossey claimed third place.
Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell also secured qualification for the major after successfully progressing through final qualifying for the first time since 2020.
However, there was disappointment for several big names, including Sergio Garcia, who failed to qualify and saw his long run of consecutive US Open appearances come to an end.
