Three-way tie for lead after Jaypee Wishtown first round

By Rahul Banerji

Lucknow’s Rajesh Kumar Rawat, Victor Hans of Jalandhar and Gurgaon’s Abhishek Kuhar shot scores of 6-under-61 to share the first round lead at the Tata Steel PGTI Feeder Tour event at the Jaypee Greens Wishtown course in Noida on Tuesday.

A second trio, comprising of Feeder Tour Order of Merit leader Yuvraj Singh Sandhu of Chandigarh, Noida’s Gaurav Pratap Singh and Wasim Khan of Delhi were in joint fourth on 5-under-62 at the par-67 course.

Jaypee Wishtown is hosting it’s first-ever professional event and the short, par-3 heavy venue has been spruced up for the occasion with the greens on the front nine having gone through a thorough makeover. The low scores also suggested they are rolling well,

Bogey-free

Rawat, a two-time winner on the Feeder Tour, handed in a bogey-free card on Tuesday to jointly lead the field of 90 players. Rawat’s four early birdies from the second to the fifth holes set the tone for his round as he added two more birdies to his card on the back nine.

Hans played his approach shots and wedges to perfection as he collected seven birdies against a lone bogey. Hans’ shot of the day was a gap-wedge approach from 120 yards over water on the 18^th that landed a foot from the flag and resulted in a birdie.

Victor, a joint runner-up at the Feeder Tour event in Lucknow last year, said, “I’ve not done well on the Feeder Tour this year after a good season in 2018. I therefore want to make the most of this terrific start.”

Kuhar scored eight birdies in exchange for a double-bogey. The Gurgaon golfer produced some spectacular wedge shots to set up two birdie putts within a foot and three more within six feet.

Abhishek drove the green on Wishtown’s short par-4 sixth that is flanked by water on both sides for a two-putt birdie.

Kuhar said, “It was a great ball-striking day for me. I’m delighted with the way that I played despite missing out on a practice round here at Wishtown.”

Also read: Sandhu lands maiden title by massive seven-shot margin