Ahmedabad, Girraj Singh Khadka (73-71) of Jaipur shot a second round of one-under 71 to total even-par 144 and take the top honours at Pre-Qualifying III of the PGTI Qualifying School 2022 at the Kalhaar Blues & Greens Golf Club here.

Pune's Pravin Pathare (70-75) and Gurugram-based amateur Daksh Shokeen (71-74) finished tied second at one-over 145.

From a total field of 96 in Pre Qualifying III, the top 27 players qualified for the Final Qualifying Stage as the cut was declared at 11-over 155.

Twenty-seven-year-old Girraj Singh Khadka, who was overnight tied eighth and three off the lead, sank two long birdie putts on the third and fifth before dropping a double-bogey on the seventh, according to a release by the PGTI on Saturday.

Girraj, a two-time winner on the amateur circuit before he turned pro in 2020, added three more birdies between the 10th and the 14th thanks to his excellent wedge-play. Khadka conceded bogeys on the 15th and 18th but still managed to finish on top of the pack at the end of the 36-hole event.

Girraj said, "My putting was the best aspect of my game over the last two days. I made some crucial long putts in both rounds. Finishing with the best score in Pre Q III gives me tremendous confidence going into the Final Stage.

"I used the one-month delay in the Qualifying School to my advantage as it gave me more time to prepare for this week," he was quoted as saying in the release.

The final qualifying stage will now be held from February 15-18.