AR
Bengaluru youngster Veer Ganapathy fired a six under par 66 to take the day-two lead in the IGPL UAE presented by Shiv Kapur, reaching eight under 136 after 36 holes at the Els Club in Dubai on Tuesday. It marks the league’s first overseas event.
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Ladies European Tour regular Pranavi Urs, already a winner in the inaugural season of the Indian Golf Premier League, sits close behind after a second straight three under 69 for a two-day total of six under 138.
Pranavi Urs – IGPL UAE
She is joined by her close friend Karandeep Kochhar (69-69) and long-hitting Ludhiana golfer Pukhraj Singh Gill (70-68).
Overnight leader and former Indian Open champion Shiv Shankar Prasad Chawrasia followed his opening seven under 65 with a two over 74 to slip into fifth on five under 139, alongside three-time IGPL winner Gaganjeet Bhullar (67-72), IGPL Order of Merit winner Aman Raj (70-69) and rising talent Raghav Chugh (72-67).
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Left-hander Ganapathy, coached by his father Rahul, produced an eagle and four birdies against a single bogey to turn in five under 31 on the testing par-72 Els Club layout. He added two more birdies and another bogey on the back nine.
Pranavi, who claimed her IGPL win earlier this season at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club with a closing eight under par 60 to beat Kochhar by two and become the first mixed-event winner in India, finished two shots behind Ganapathy on Tuesday. The Mysuru golfer carded five birdies and two bogeys in her 69, while Kochhar posted six birdies and three bogeys. Gill opened strongly with an eagle and three birdies to turn in four under 36 before a level-par back nine gave him a 68.
Chawrasia, a six-time Asian Tour winner with four victories in co-sanctioned DP World Tour events, had to grind through the day to stay in touch. He remains three off the lead alongside Bhullar, Aman Raj and Chugh.
Bhullar said after day one, “I am enjoying myself on the IGPL Tour. My game has been good and I will try to keep the momentum going and try for four in four.”
Tournament host Shiv Kapur shared 16th place on one under 143 with Jeev Milkha Singh, who flew in straight from Mauritius after finishing runner-up in the MCB Mauritius on the European Legends Tour for over-50s.
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Main Image: IGPL UAE
