Kolkata, Oct 29 (NationPress) Aman Raj picked up right where he left off last week, delivering another stunning 9-under 61 that gave him a commanding four-shot lead over Aalaap IL (65) at the conclusion of the opening round of the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) Invitational Kolkata, hosted by SSP Chawrasia at the Tollygunge Golf Club.

Despite an overcast sky and a brief play suspension due to lightning fears, the players managed to adapt to the conditions remarkably well. A total of 26 players managed to score at par or better.

Having recovered from a shoulder injury that interrupted part of the 2024 season and early 2025, Aman Raj showcased a bogey-free round of 61, marking his third such performance in just four rounds. He previously shot 61 in the first two rounds of the IGPL Jaipur before replicating this feat at Tollygunge on Wednesday.

Aman made birdies on the third, sixth, seventh, and ninth holes, adding more gains on the 10th, 12th, 13th, 15th, and 16th.

Aalaap, who recently finished in the Top-10 in Pune, had one of his best rounds this season. After starting from the tenth hole, he recorded three birdies and an eagle without any bogeys.

Leading woman competitor, Rhea Purvi, finished just outside the Top-10 with a score of 2-under 68, placing her Tied-11th alongside six others. Kartik Singh, who has performed well up until now, struggled with a 3-over and ended up at Tied-40th.

Aman Raj, a 30-year-old golfer from Patna now residing in Gurgaon, has been balancing his schedule between domestic tournaments and international competitions on the Asian Tour. Last week, he ended a 22-month title drought by clinching victory at IGPL Jaipur. Expressing his satisfaction, Aman stated, “It’s incredibly fulfilling to string together a series of low scores. My confidence and game have been gradually returning.”

After notching birdies on half of the 18 holes he played, he acknowledged that he still has some way to go in terms of fitness. Mysuru-based Aalaap trailed in second at 5-under 65, while four players, including Bengaluru's Syed Saqib Ahmed, Olympian Udayan Mane—playing only his second IGPL event—left-hander Kartik Sharma, and Aditya Raj Kumar Chauhan, were tied for third at 4-under 66.

Aman Raj's game was characterized by consistent fairway hits, and when he did miss, his iron play kept him on the greens frequently. Aman shared, “This gave me a lot of birdie chances, and I converted many of them. Besides the birdies, I made some solid pars. When I did miss the greens, my chipping and putting were very effective. I almost made all my putts from within 8-10 feet and some from much farther out, so it was a good putting day.”

Satisfied with his performance, Aman added, “All aspects of my game are aligning. It feels like all the hard work, rehabilitation, and practice are yielding results, and everything is coming together. I’m still navigating my recovery. Yesterday was a crucial physiotherapy session. I couldn’t swing the club, but the physiotherapist assisted, and today went great. Now, I just need to maintain this momentum.”

Aman Raj aims to replicate Gaganjeet Bhullar’s achievement of consecutive victories in the first two events at Chandigarh and Jaypee Greens.

Udayan Mane, who was Tied-sixth in his debut IGPL appearance in Jaipur, started strong with a score of 4-under 66, placing him Tied-third. He remarked, “I made a couple of errors that cost me a bogey and a double bogey. However, I played well overall. I believe I hit the ball exceptionally today, with a lot of fairways. The two missed fairways led to my double bogey and bogey. I chipped well, struck my irons solidly, and putted effectively. I had seven birdies in total, but the double bogey and one bogey don’t reflect my game accurately. Nevertheless, I’m grateful to be playing at Tolly and thankful to my wife for her support. Choosing to participate in the IGPL was a significant decision for me, and I’m appreciative of this chance.”

Other experienced golfers, Chiragh Kumar, a former Asian Tour winner, and Harendra Gupta, a multiple domestic titleholder, along with Samarth Dwivedi and amateur Aryav Shah, were all tied for seventh, each scoring 3-under 67.

Kapil Kumar, the IGPL Pune champion, found himself among seven players tied for 11th place at 2-under, alongside Rhea Purvi, Pukhraj Singh Gill, Yashas Chandra, Aryan Roopa Anand, Raghav Chugh, and Sydney Chugh.