Mysuru, Aug 12 (IANS) Professional Golfers Tour of India (PGTI) Order of Merit leader Yuvraj Sandhu of Chandigarh made an impact in his very first competitive round at the Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Golf Club (JWGC) as he shot a scorching nine-under 61 to take the lead on the opening day of the Mysuru Open 2025 here on Tuesday.

The leader was closely followed by Bangladesh’s Jamal Hossain, who struck an outstanding eight-under 62 at the Par 70 course to be placed second. Both Yuvraj and Jamal had error-free outings.

Former PGTI Order of Merit champion Om Prakash Chouhan of Mhow and Honey Baisoya of the DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurugram, signed for scores of seven-under 63 to occupy tied third place.

Mysuru’s Dhruv Bopanna, playing at his home course, carded a six-under 64 to be tied fifth along with Bengaluru’s Chikkarangappa S.. Chandigarh’s Angad Cheema, the winner of the last two PGTI events and currently ranked second in the Order of Merit, began his week with a 69 to be tied 60th.

Yuvraj Sandhu, one of only two multiple-time winners on the PGTI this year along with Angad Cheema, picked up two birdies on the front nine before racing to the top with an eagle and five birdies on the back nine. Yuvraj’s back-nine featured some exceptional iron and wedge shots, including his hole out from 18 yards for eagle on the 14th.

The 28-year-old Sandhu said, “It was the ideal start for me as this is the first time I’m playing an event at the JWGC. The playing conditions and the weather are also quite different from our last venue in Ahmedabad. I’m just loving the weather here, it’s perfect for golf. I felt that I adapted to the conditions well today, especially the greens and the way the course is set up.

“My consistency this season has been the result of the combined efforts of my whole team, including my coach, mental coach, physical trainer, physio, and nutritionist. I’ve also put in a lot of work in my game during the off-season, and I stuck to my practice schedule even in the worst of weather in the summer months. I’m now looking forward to reaping the rewards of all that hard work.”

Jamal Hossain’s eight birdies included six from a range within five feet and two long conversions as he drove the ball well and landed his wedge shots close to the pin on most occasions.

Jamal, a multiple winner on the PGTI, said, “I did well with my tee shots and lob wedge shots, the two essentials on this course. That helped me set up a number of tap-in birdies. I had a decent first half of the season, which wasn’t really up to my expectations. So, I’m now looking to make amends in the second half of the season.”

–IANS

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