Adani Invitational Golf: Thangaraja and Talwar Share Top Spot After First Round

Synopsis

Sri Lankan golfer N. Thangaraja and Greater Noida’s Saptak Talwar lead the Adani Invitational Golf Championship 2025 after Round One at Jaypee Greens, both scoring five-under 67. They are followed closely by a group of players at four-under 68.

Key Takeaways

Thangaraja and Talwar share the lead with five-under 67 scores.
Thangaraja achieved a bogey-free round.
Talwar recovered from a slow start with an eagle and four birdies.
Local familiarity played a role in Talwar's performance.
Competitive field includes notable names like Chouhan and Prasad.

Greater Noida (U.P.), April 1 (NationPress) Sri Lankan golfer N. Thangaraja and Greater Noida’s Saptak Talwar, competing at Talwar's home course, delivered impressive scores of five-under 67 to jointly lead after Round One of the INR 1.5 crore Adani Invitational Golf Championship 2025 at the Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort on Tuesday.

Om Prakash Chouhan from Mhow, Delhi golfer Arjun Prasad, Sunhit Bishnoi from Gurugram, and Md Somrat Sikdar of Bangladesh all tied for third with scores of four-under 68.

Thangaraja, who won on the PGTI last month, maintained a bogey-free performance on the first day. He recorded two birdies on the front nine, including a tap-in and a remarkable 30-foot conversion. He started the back nine with consecutive birdies on the 10th and 11th, landing his approaches from 130 yards to within five feet on both shots. His final birdie came on the 14th hole.

The 43-year-old Thangaraja, boasting five PGTI wins, remarked, “I feel I’ve been in great rhythm since my victory last month in Ahmedabad. My hitting form has been fantastic. Today I hit all fairways except one and struck 16 greens in regulation. I missed a couple of short putts, but I’m pleased with an error-free opening round. The course feels slightly longer than my last visit in 2013, requiring good driving and putting to score well here.”

Local player Saptak Talwar faced a challenging start with a couple of three-putts for bogeys on the back nine, turning at one-over. However, he gained momentum on the front nine, achieving an eagle and four birdies between the first and sixth holes. His eagle and two birdies came from distances of 12 to 17 feet. Talwar also landed his tee shot within three feet on the par-3 third hole for a birdie.

The 26-year-old Talwar expressed, “It was wonderful to return to my home course. However, after competing at various venues recently, I needed time to adjust to the greens here. I haven’t played up to my expectations in the last two tournaments, but I feel my game is improving with each passing week.”

Yuvraj Sandhu and Shaurya Bhattacharya, both season winners, finished tied for 10th place with scores of 70.