Joint leader Khalin Joshi in action at the Golmuri Golf Course in round one of the season-ending Tata Open in Jamshedpur on Thursday. Image courtesy PGTI.
By Rahul Banerji
Khalin Joshi and Veer Ahlawat took the opening day honours at the season-ending Rs 2 crore Tata Open at the Beldih and Golmuri golf courses in Jamshedpur on Thursday.
In round one, half the field played its 18 opening holes at Beldih while the other half did so at Golmuri. In round two, both halves will switch venues, the PGTI said.
Joshi and Ahlawat shot 7 under par 63s at Golmuri to share the clubhouse leader as round one could not be completed on Thursday.
Bangladesh’s Md Siddikur Rahman, a former Indian Open champion, struck a 6 under 64 at Golmuri to be third in the clubhouse.
Ten players out of a field of 126 could not complete their first round on Thursday when play was suspended due to fading light. They will resume the unfinished round at 7 am on Friday.
Ahlawat, a two-time winner this year and in Jamshedpur at the Tata Steel Tour Championship last year, carded eight birdies against one bogey to make his way to the top on day one.
Familiar track
“I’ve played well in Jamshedpur over the past few years so I know the two courses well and I know how to adapt to both,” Ahlawat, who won at Navi Mumbai lat week, said.
“I struck it well off the tee today and made the most of my chances on the greens.
“I’ll now look to shoot a five or six under at Beldih in round two that could place me well at the halfway stage.”
Joshi also mixed eight birdies with a bogey in his 63, and said later,“It’s important to adapt quickly to the greens this week. I did that well today and putted well within the five feet range.”
Past Order of Merit champion and Cidco Open winner last week, Veer Ahlawat found form early at Jamshedpur to share the Tata Open lead on Thursday. Image courtesy PGTI.
Amongst others in contention this week are PGTI Order of Merit champion Yuvraj Sandhu, second-placed Sri Lankan N. Thangaraja and no. 3 Shaurya Bhattacharya.
Quality field
All three are multiple winners this year on the PGTI besides which Sandhu has sewn up his card on the DP World (European) Tour for 2026 while Bhattacharya earned Asian Tour status in Thailand last week.
The field also includes past Tata Open winners Om Prakash Chouhan, Sri Lanka’s Mithun Perera, Mukesh Kumar, Shamim Khan and Gurki Shergill.
The local challenge is being led by professional Kurush Heerjee.
The two venues are both lush green and very well-maintained, with the charming Dalma Hills in the background.
While Beldih is marked by long fairways, Golmuri is a smaller, greener, boutique course without much room for error.
Also read: Ahlawat wins Cidco Open with solid final run at Kharghar Valley
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