Former PGTI Order of Merit topper Om Prakash Chouhan in action on day one of the co-sanctioned Kolkata Challenger at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club on Thursday. Image courtesy PGTI.
By Rahul Banerji
Om Prakash Chouhan fired a 6 under par 66 to share the first round lead along with Spain’s Quim Vidal at the $300,000 Kolkata Challenge, a HotelPlanner Tour-PGTI sanctioned event at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club on Thursday.
Four-time DP World Tour winner and twice Hero Indian Open champion Shiv Shankar Prasad Chawrasia returned a 67 share third place alongside Dhruv Sheoran, the PGTI said.
Syed Saqib Ahmed and Mohd Azhar carded 69s to share ninth place and make it five Indians in the top 10 at the end of round one.
Tenth tee starter Chouhan, a former winner on the HotelPlanner Tour and at the RCGC, produced eight birdies and two bogeys in his opening round.
The Ahmedabad-based golfer, who earned a spot on the DP World Tour in 2024 after winning the PGTI Order of Merit in 2023, began and ended the day with long birdie conversions from between 15 and 30 feet on holes 10 and nine.
Chouhan chipped-in from the bunker on six and also set up two tap-ins, one thanks to his tee shot on the Par-3 second hole.
“My experience on the DP World Tour last year has helped my game a great deal,” Chouhan said.
“Coming into the Kolkata Challenge, I feel quite at home since I’ve won on the HotelPlanner Tour before and I’ve also tasted success at the RCGC in 2023.
Birdie holes
“If one does not make the most of the two Par-5s and two Par-3s at this course, there are not too many other scoring opportunities here.
“I did well by picking up shots on the two Par-5s and one of the Par-3s today. I would say I’m quietly confident coming into this week.”
Vidal shot a bogey-free 66 to share the honours with Chouhan on day one.
“You have to be smart around here. You have to know how the ball is going to come out of this grass, as it’s very different to what we’re used to,” the Spaniard said.
“If you find a lot of rough, depending on the lie, it can come out in so many different ways. You always have to hit it straight, but you have to be comfortable with this grass.
“I played pretty good in South Africa, but I didn’t play well here last year, so I came here with no expectations. I’m hitting the ball well and came here to see what happens. I didn’t have any expectations but it’s a good start.”
Chawrasia, who started on the back nine, drained six early birdies, including five on the trot from holes 14 to 18. SSP added two more on the front nine before suffering a few bad breaks that resulted in three consecutive bogeys from the fifth to the seventh.
In good form of late on the PGTI, Sheoran made an eagle, five birdies and two bogeys on Thursday.
Joshua Grenville-Wood made a hole-in-one on the 13th during his round of 70 to be tied for 23rd.
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