By Rahul Banerji
Young guns powered themselves into the spotlight on the opening day of the Rs 30 lakh Bengal Open Golf Championship presented by West Bengal Tourism at the Tollygunge Club in Kolkata on Tuesday with 18-year-old rookie Karan Pratap Singh hammering a breathtaking 8-under-62 to grab the lead.
Celeb local golfer Shiv Sundar Prasad Charwaria’s nephew, Sunit, stole some of the family thunder with a quality 7-under-63 to share second place with yet another tyro, Karandeep Kochar of Chandigarh alongside Bengaluru’s Syed Saqib Ahmed and Bangladesh’s Badal Hossain.
Karan, playing only his third event as a professional after coming through the 2019 PGTI Qualifying School, benefited from some brilliant putting on Tuesday as he drained an eagle and four birdies from 10 to 20 feet.
The Faridabad-based Karan, who plays at the DLF Golf & Country Club in Gurgaon, was quick off the blocks with birdies on his first three holes. He added another on the eighth before sinking a 15-footer for eagle on the par-5 13th.
Memorable day
The six-footer, who finished tied 16th at the PGTI Q School earlier this year to earn a full card on the tour, then picked up two more shots on his last five holes to make it the most memorable day of a fledgling professional career.
Karan, among India’s leading juniors till age 15, said, “I hardly missed a fairway today and that’s the key to playing well at this course. While my hitting was spot-on, my putting was even better. I also did well with the wedges, especially the gap-wedge and didn’t make any errors.
“The three birdies at the start just took my confidence to another level. It was also great to end the round with a 12-foot birdie conversion.
Books and bunkers
“I didn’t play too much on the amateur tour last year as I was busy studying and giving my 12th board exams. I then entered the PGTI Q School with the thought that I would turn pro only if I earned an A card.
“I managed to do that and subsequently turned pro. Thereafter, the tied 12th finish on my professional debut in Hyderabad, was a huge morale-booster.”
“Today’s round also gives me a lot of self-belief. It’s important that over the next three rounds I keep repeating the things that I’ve done well today.”
Sunit Chowrasia, 24 and fresh from a career-best seventh place finish at the PGTI Players Championship at the Classic Golf & Country Club last month, continued his hot form as he put together an eagle, six birdies and a bogey in round one.
Kochhar, who as an amateur at age 17 became the youngest player to win on the Indian tour during the last PGTI event at Tollygunge Club in 2016, once again enjoyed himself at his happy hunting ground with a 63 that featured an eagle, seven birdies and two bogeys.
He was eight-under through 10 holes before slowing down with a bogey on 11 and all pars thereafter.
Hot putting
Syed Saqib Ahmed’s hot putter earned him five birdie conversions from a range of 10 to 20 feet. He finished in style by nearly finding the hole with his tee shot on the par-3 18th but tapped in for birdie for shared second place on 63.
Badal Hossain’s round which included an eagle, six birdies and a bogey also bunched him in the four-way tie for second place.
Tata Steel PGTI Order of Merit leader Rashid Khan of Delhi was tied 12th on 65 while Bangalore-based Rahil Gangjee was a further shot back in tied 15th at his original home course.
Chawrasia Senior shot a 69 to be tied 45th even as another Kolkata-bred Bengaluru-based player Viraj Madappa was shared 66th after a round of 71.
Gaurika faces challenge on women’s tour
At Jaypee Greens in Greater Noida, Gaurika Bishnoi, who won her first title of the 2019 season last week, will start among the favourites in the sixth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour from Wednesday.
The event carries a purse of Rs. 8 lakh and has 21 professionals and four amateurs in the field.
The Hero WPG Tour has had an open look about it with five different winners in as many events so far, Gaurika will have to contend with Amandeep Drall, who returns to the domestic Tour after a top-20 performance at the NSW Open in Australia.
Interestingly, Amandeep, considered one of the strongest and most consistent players on home soil, is yet to win in her four starts this season.
On the lookout
Order of merit leader Neha Tripathi and Gursimar Badwal have already registered a win each this year and both will be looking at becoming the first multiple winner of 2019. Ridhima Dilawari will be playing with similar ambitions.
As many as four young amateurs are in the field, along with veteran Vandana Agarwal, who is back after a long break.
Of the five winners this season, only Tvesa Malik is missing. Tvesa, Diksha Dagar who had a top-5 finish at the NSW Open and Astha Madan are also not in the field as they will be in action at the Investec SA Women’s Open in South Africa from March 14.
Also read: PGTI lands Tata Steel as umbrella sponsor for three years
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