In-form Kolkata golfer Sunit Chowrasia shared the day one NexGen Varanasi lead at the BLW Greens Golf Course on Tuesday. Image courtesy DP World PGTI.
By Rahul Banerji
Sunit Chowrasia of Kolkata, Mathura’s Mukeem Ali and Dipankar Kaushal of Noida shared the first round lead at the inaugural Rs 25 lakh NexGen Varanasi at the BLW Greens Golf Course on Tuesday.
The trio returned cards of 3 under par 67 to lead Delhi’s Pawan Verma and Nikhil Sharma of Gurgaon by a stroke in the 54-hole event, the DP World PGTI said.
Sunit, the current NexGen Order of Merit leader, is coming off consecutive victories at the Alpha Sports Academy Golf Championship hosted by Patna Golf Club in March and the Vijay Kumar Memorial in Lucknow last week.
The 31-year-old Kolkata golfer mixed seven birdies with two bogeys and a double to sit atop the leaderboard.
Reflecting on his round, Sunit said, “It feels good to be in a share of the lead. I started well, but the double bogey on the 10th checked my momentum a little.
“After that, I stayed patient, focused on my game plan and managed to recover well.”
Playing in the afternoon wave, Sunit had to contend with hot and humid conditions. “It was much hotter and more humid than last week in Lucknow, so staying hydrated and managing my energy was important.
Varanasi boy Mukeem Ali had a good mid-round run to be part of the leading trio on Tuesday. Image courtesy DP World PGTI.
Key requirement
“Every course demands something different, and here the key is to keep the ball in play off the tee,” he added.
Mukeem Ali, 27, who started from the par-4 fifth hole in the shotgun format, carded five birdies against two bogeys, and three consecutive birdies from holes 16 to 18 helped him climb to the top of the standings.
On his round, Mukeem said, “I putted really well today and that made a big difference. My overall game was solid, and it’s always nice when the putter starts working for you.”
Noida Golf Course’s Dipankar Kaushal, 39, started from the par-3 eighth and produced a round featuring an eagle on the par-5 18th, four birdies, one bogey and a double.
Despite the blemishes, Dipankar was pleased with his ball-striking. “I hit the ball really well and found 17 greens in regulation.
“The double bogey was disappointing, but I recovered with an eagle and kept giving myself chances throughout the day. Overall, it was a solid round,” he said.
The experienced Dipankar Kaushal of Noida Golf Course was all all praise for the host venue in Varanasi after ending day one tied for the top spot. Image courtesy DP World PGTI.
Top shape
He was also impressed by the host venue. “I was pleasantly surprised by the condition of the course. It’s in excellent shape, especially considering the weather.
“My approach for the rest of the week will be simple — keep hitting fairways and greens and take advantage of the opportunities,” Dipankar added.
Kolkata’s Pratim Kumar and Souvik Nayak, along with local favourite Hemant Yadav were a further shot back in tied sixth on 1 under 69.
Scoring proved to be a challenge for the field with only 11 of the 72 entries returning even par 70 or better on the opening day.
Imamul Haq, the other Varanasi-based professional in the field, shot a 73 to be tied 26th.
Also read: Chowrasia goes back-to-back with Vijay Kumar Memorial win
Related
Discover more from Tee Time Tales
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.