Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai tries his hand at putting in the presence of DP World PGTI president Kapil Dev and leading professional golfers at the inauguration ceremony of the Nava Raipur Open on Tuesday. Image courtesy DP World PGTI.
By Rahul Banerji
Khalin Joshi shot a bogey-free 5 under par 29 to lead the inaugural Nava Raipur Open by one shot at Fairway Golf & Lake Resort on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old from Bangalore, a two-time winner on the DP World PGTI this season, made five birdies, including three consecutive gains from the third hole onwards, the DP World PGTI said.
He entered the week ranked 12th in the Race to DP World India Championship.
Heavy rain left the course unsuitable for 18-hole rounds in the Rs 1 crore event, prompting the tournament committee to stage four rounds over the back nine.
“With only nine holes, you have to come out firing,” Joshi said.
“Every hole matters because there is little time to recover. I tried to stay present, commit to each shot and play aggressively.”
In pursuit
Aryav Shah, Bipin Mukhiya, Akshay Neranjen, Brashwarpal Singh and Sri Lanka’s Chalitha Pushpika shared second place with bogey-free cards of 4 under 30.
Earlier, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and DP World PGTI president Kapil Dev inaugurated the tournament with a ceremonial tee-off.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister said hosting more professional golf tournaments would attract visitors, encourage youth participation and generate opportunities for tourism, hospitality and local businesses in Nava Raipur.
The tournament trophy was unveiled in the presence of tour chief executive officer Amandeep Johl with the dignitaries present interacting with the participating golfers before addressing the media.
The Rs 1 crore tournament is supported by title partner Nava Raipur, presenting partner SECL and associate partners Chhattisgarh Tourism and Jindal Steel.
In all, 132 professionals, including 18 overseas golfers are in the field, and it marks the DP World PGTI’s return to Nava Raipur for a second event in 2026 after the inaugural SECL Chhattisgarh Open.
The par-69 Fairway Golf & Lake Resort is located by the 450-acre Jhanjh Lake and surrounded by almost a 500-acre forest.
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