VARANASI SPORTS NEWS – Three-Way Tie at the Top! Sunit, Mukeem and Dipankar Lead DP World PGTI NexGen Varanasi
Khabarilaal News Desk :
Varanasi. The inaugural INR 25 lakh DP World PGTI NexGen – Varanasi got off to an exciting start on Tuesday as Sunit Chowrasia of Kolkata, Mukeem Ali of Mathura and Dipankar Kaushal of Noida carded identical rounds of three-under 67 to share the first-round lead at the BLW Greens Golf Course.
Sunit Maintains Excellent Form
Current DP World PGTI NexGen Order of Merit leader Sunit Chowrasia continued his rich vein of form after registering consecutive victories in Patna and Lucknow earlier this season.
Sunit’s round featured seven birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey on the par-4 10th hole.
Speaking after his round, Sunit said,
“It feels good to be in a share of the lead. The double bogey affected my momentum, but I stayed patient and recovered well.”
He also pointed out the challenging weather conditions in Varanasi.
Mukeem Ali Finishes Strong
Mathura golfer Mukeem Ali climbed into a share of the lead with a steady round of five birdies and two bogeys.
A crucial stretch of three consecutive birdies from the 16th to the 18th hole helped him finish at three-under-par.
“My putting was excellent today and that made a huge difference,” said Mukeem.
Dipankar Kaushal Produces Eagle
Noida’s Dipankar Kaushal also signed for a 67 after producing an impressive round that included one eagle, four birdies, one bogey and one double bogey.
Dipankar credited his ball-striking for the strong performance.
“I found 17 greens in regulation and gave myself plenty of scoring opportunities throughout the day,” he said.
Chasing Pack Close Behind
Delhi’s Pawan Verma and Gurugram’s Nikhil Sharma were tied for fourth place at two-under 68.
Meanwhile, Kolkata golfers Pratim Kumar and Souvik Nayak, along with Varanasi’s Hemant Yadav, were tied sixth at one-under 69.
Tough Conditions Test Field
Scoring proved difficult for most players on the opening day, with only 11 of the 72 participants managing rounds of even-par or better.
Local professional Imamul Haq carded a 73 and was placed tied 26th after round one.
Winner Earns Main Tour Exemption
The winner of the 2026 DP World PGTI NexGen Order of Merit will earn a coveted exemption on the main DP World PGTI Tour for the 2027 season.
Launched in 2025, the NexGen Tour serves as the developmental circuit of Indian professional golf and aims to provide more opportunities to golfers while expanding the sport’s reach across Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
About PGTI
The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) is the official governing body for men’s professional golf in India and is recognized by the International Golf Federation and the International Federation of PGA Tours. PGTI events also carry Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.
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