By Rahul Banerji
Prince Bainsla, who has won just one of the four events on the US Kids Golf India Tour this season, came good on the first day of the Indian Championship.
Playing in the Boys 12 category, Bainsla shot four-under-par 68 in rather windy conditions at the Classic Golf and Country Club on Wednesday.
Bainsla was five-under through 15 holes before dropping two shots and picking up a further birdie in between.
The three-day event gives the players a chance to earn World Amateur Golf Ranking points and also passage to the World Championship at Pinehurst and the European Championship in Scotland.
Players have to shoot at least two rounds of par or under to be eligible for the World and European Championship.
More than 100 golfers from eight countries are taking part in the three-day event.
Bainsla, a hugely talented youngster who is supported by the US Kids Golf India, led his category by three shots as rival Kartik Singh was one-under 71.
Some competition
It was the only section that saw both the first and second-placed golfers go under par despite the tough conditions.
In all seven players across six categories shot sub-par rounds.
Amaira Gulati of Lucknow had a fine day with a one-under 35 in the Girls 8 and under, while Kriti Parekh, who had come all the way from Tamil Nadu went two-under in the girls 11-12.
She led Singapore’s Aamiya Koul by five shots.
Besides Prince and Kartik, three others scored under par in the biys events.
Kabir Goyal stood out with a bogey-free three-under 33 in the Boys 7 and under.
Kabir, winner of all two domestic events led by seven shots over Nihal Cheema, winner of all four events in Boys 6 and under, who is however playing in a higher age category at this event.
In the Boys 9 category, Sohrab Singh Talwar held a three-shot lead over Adit Veeramachaneni of Bangalore, winner of four domestic events and whose best score this season has been a seven-under 65 at Golden Greens.
Jai Gupta of Chandigarh was another to impress with a two-under 70 to lead by three shots from Bhavesh Nirwan (73) in the boys 13-14 category.
First-round leaders: Girls Section
8 & Under (9 holes/ 1495 yards): Amaira Gulati (Lucknow) 35 (-1); Vihana Patel (Guj) 40 (+4)
9-10 (18 /3995 yards): Aanya Dandriyal (UP) 80 (+8); Dalisha Chetry (Delhi) and Rabab Kahlon (Mohali) 85 (+13)
11-12 (18/4585 yards): Kriti Parekh (TN) 70 (-2); Aamiya Koul (Singapore) 75 (+3)
13-14 (18/5665 yards): Mahreen Bhatia (Ggn) 80 (+8), Aiysha Dutt (Ggn) 80 (+8)
15-18 (18/5665 yards): Kaathiyayani Gunasegar (Malaysia) 75 (+3); Lavanya Gupta (Delhi) 75 (+3)
Boys Section
7 & Under (9/1755 yards): Kabir Goyal (Noida) 33 (-3); Nihal Cheema (Chd) 40 (+4)
Age 8 (18/2010 yards): Jot Sarup Gupta (Jalandhar) 46 (+10); Arihant Joshi (Hyd) 60 (+24);
Age 9 (18/3995 yards): Sohrab Singh Talwar (Mohali) 70 (-2); Adit Veeramachaneni (Bangalore) 73 (+1)
Age 10 (18/4585 yards): Aditya Misra (Delhi) 81 (+9); Raajveer Suri (UP) 81 (+9)
Age 11 (18/5193 yards): Sidhaan Chibber (UAE) 74 (+2); Chaitanya Pandey (Delhi) 75 (+3) and Keiran Gouri (Canada) 75 (+3)
Age 12 (18/5665 yards): Prince Bainsla (Haryana) 68 (-4); Kartik Singh (Gurgaon) 71 (-1)
13-14 (18/6386 yards): Jai Gupta (Chd) 70 (-2); Bhavesh Nirwan (UP) 73 (+1)
15-18 (18/6386 yards): Ishan Ahuja (Gurgaon) 73 (+1); Ram Singh Mann (Chd) 76 (+4)
Also read: Large field to tee off at US Kids Golf Indian Championship
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