PGTI NexGen: Sunit Chowrasia, Mukeem Ali, Dipankar Kaushal share opening round lead

Sunit, the current PGTI NexGen Order of Merit leader, arrived in Varanasi on the back of consecutive victories at the Alpha Sports Academy Golf Championship hosted by Patna Golf Club in March and the Vijay Kumar Memorial in Lucknow last week. The Kolkata golfer mixed seven birdies with two bogeys and a double bogey on the par-4 10th to join the lead at three-under 67

Thirty-one-year-old Sunit Chowrasia of Kolkata, twenty-seven-year-old Mukeem Ali of Mathura and thirty-nine-year-old Dipankar Kaushal of Noida carded matching rounds of three-under 67 to share the first-round lead at the inaugural PGTI NexGen in Varanasi, being played at the BLW Greens Golf Course. Sunit, the current PGTI NexGen Order of Merit leader, arrived in Varanasi on the back of consecutive victories at the Alpha Sports Academy Golf Championship hosted by Patna Golf Club in March and the Vijay Kumar Memorial in Lucknow last week. The Kolkata golfer mixed seven birdies with two bogeys and a double bogey on the par-4 10th to join the lead at three-under 67.

Reflecting on his round, Sunit said, "It feels good to be in a share of the lead. I started well, but the double bogey on the 10th checked my momentum a little. After that, I stayedpatient, focused on my game plan and managed to recover well." Playing in the afternoon wave, Sunit had to contend with hot and humid conditions. "It was much hotter and more humid than last week in Lucknow, so staying hydrated and managingmy energy was important. Every course demands something different, and here the key is to keep the ball in play off the tee," he added.

Mukeem Ali, who started from the par-4 fifth hole in the shotgun format, also posted a three-under 67 to grab a share of the lead. The Mathura golfer carded five birdies against two bogeys, with a decisive run of three consecutive birdies from the 16th through the 18th helping him climb to the top of the leaderboard. Talking about his round, Mukeem said, "I putted really well today, and that made a big difference. My overall game was solid, and it's always nice when the putter starts working for you."

Dipankar Kaushal, whose home course is Noida Golf Course, started from the par-3 eighth and produced a round featuring an eagle on the par-5 18th, four birdies, one bogey and adouble bogey on the par-4 12th. Despite the blemishes, Dipankar was pleased with his ball-striking. "I hit the ball really well and found 17 greens in regulation. The double bogey was disappointing, but I recovered with an eagle and kept giving myself chances throughout the day. Overall, it was a solid round," he said.

He was also impressed by the host venue. "I was pleasantly surprised by the condition of the course. Its in excellent shape, especially considering the weather. My approach for the rest of the week will be simple -- keep hitting fairways and greens and take advantage of the opportunities," Dipankar added. Delhi's Pawan Verma and Gurugram's Nikhil Sharma shared fourth place at two-under 68. Kolkata's Pratim Kumar and Souvik Nayak, along with local favourite Hemant Yadav of Varanasi, were a further shot back in tied sixth at one-under 69.

Scoring proved challenging for much of the field, with only 11 of the 72 players managing rounds of even-par 70 or better on the opening day. Imamul Haq, the other Varanasi-based professional in the field, shot a 73 to be tied 26th. The winner of this year's NexGen Order of Merit will earn an exemption on the main tour(DP World PGTI) for the 2027 season. (ANI)