Bengaluru, Oct 7 (NationPress) Kolkata’s Viraj Madappa and Nepal's Subash Tamang both delivered impressive performances, each scoring six-under 65, to claim a shared lead after the opening round of the INR 1 crore Bengaluru Open 2025 at the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) course in Bengaluru.

Five players are closely behind, tied for third at five-under 66: N. Thangaraja from Sri Lanka, Md Muaj from Bangladesh, Sanjeev Kumar from Lucknow, Akshay Sharma from Chandigarh, and Saptak Talwar from Greater Noida.

Among the local talents, Mari Muthu R., Chikkarangappa S., and Manoj S. all shot 69, placing them in a tie for 19th. Notably, the defending champion Abhinav Lohan also shares this position.

Viraj Madappa, who made history as the youngest Indian to win an international title at KGA in 2018 at just 20 years old, began his round steadily with three birdies and one bogey on the back nine. He surged ahead with five birdies and another bogey on the front nine, showcasing remarkable wedge shots and sinking a 55-foot putt.

“I missed my practice round here at KGA because I was overseas last week. However, my long-standing familiarity with this course really helps. My caddie, Selva, who also hails from KGA, knows every detail of the course. I believe these factors aided my strong start today despite missing my practice round,” said Viraj.

“I’ve played consistently well since winning on the PGTI earlier this year, but I’ve struggled to string together four solid rounds. That’s my goal for this week,” he added.

Subash Tamang also showed remarkable skill with strong drives, particularly on the back nine where he scored five birdies. He added two more on the front nine but finished with a bogey on the final hole.

“My driving and putting were on point today, which is crucial at KGA. I feel I’m in a good rhythm right now, having achieved some top-10 finishes recently, and I’m riding the wave of confidence from those performances,” said Tamang.