Chowrasia leads by two at NexGen Vijay Kumar Memorial

Sunit Chowrasia, nephew of Indian golf legend S.S.P. Chawrasia, held the day two lead at the NexGen Vijay Kumar Memorial tournament on Lucknow on Wednesday. Image courtesy DP World PGTI.

By Rahul Banerji

Kolkata’s Sunit Chowrasia will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Rs 25 lakh inaugural NexGen Series Vijay Kumar Memorial at Lucknow Golf Club on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old fired a bogey-free 8 under par 62 to follow his opening level par 70 for a tournament total of 8 under 132, climbing into the top spot from 13th place overnighht, the DP World PGTI said.

Sunit, nephew of two-time Indian Open winner S.S.P. Chawrasia, is sixth on the DP World PGTI NexGen Order of Merit, and produced the low round of the tournament with eight birdies and no blips on Wednesday.

Overnight leader Abhishek Kumar (65-69) of Panchkula was in second place on 6 under 134 with a second successive bogey-free round.

Chowrasia, winner of the last NexGen event, the Alpha Sports Academy Golf Championship hosted by Patna Golf Club, started his round from the par-4 ninth in the shotgun format. 

On a roll

He picked up three shots on his opening nine before catching fire on his second nine, where he added five more birdies, including four in a row from the third to the sixth hole.

Looking for back-to-back titles on the NexGen, Chowrasia said, “I got off to a steady start and was three-under through my first nine holes. 

“The momentum really picked up on the second nine where I made four consecutive birdies. I kept the ball in play, gave myself plenty of opportunities and was able to convert the chances I created.”

He added, “I hit my irons particularly well, especially on the par-3s, where I was able to get the ball close to the flag. Most of my birdies came from good approach shots that left me relatively short putts.”

Abhishek, 24, who won the season-opening NexGen event in Faridabad, ranks fourth on the Order of Merit. He said patience was crucial on a day when he frequently had to recover from difficult positions.

“The course tested my patience today. There were a few holes where I found myself in tricky spots, including one on the sixth where I was blocked by a tree, but I managed to recover well and stay patient throughout the round.”

Looking ahead to the final round, Abhishek added, “This event is special because it carries Vijay Kumar’s name. He always encouraged and guided young players, so it would be very meaningful to do well here.”

Following up

Forty-one-year-old Pawan Kumar of Delhi followed up his opening 67 with a 2 under 68 to hold sole third place at 5 under 135.

Noida’s Bipin Mukhiya (70-67), the current NexGen Order of Merit leader, Lucknow’s Rajesh Kumar Gautam (68-69), third in the standings, and fifteen-year-old Arjunveer Shishir (69-68) of Panchkula shared fourth place on 3 under 137.

Rishi Kumar of Lucknow was the other local player in the top-10 in tied seventh on 2 under 138.

The 36-hole cut fell at six-over 146, with 39 of the 71 players advancing to the final round.

The winner of the 2026 DP World PGTI NexGen Order of Merit will earn exemption on the main tour for the 2027 season. 

Also read: Abhishek holds day one lead at NexGen Vijay Kumar Memorial

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