Om Prakash Chouhan fired a scintillating eight-under 62 on 11 August to claim the first-round lead at the second edition of the Coal India Open, the ₹1 crore Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) event being played at Tollygunge Club in Kolkata. The 40-year-old from Mhow, Madhya Pradesh delivered one of the rounds of the season to edge ahead of a competitive 132-player field.

A Round Built on Brilliance

Chouhan's card was anything but routine. He notched a hole-in-one on the par-three eighth and followed it with an eagle on the par-five 13th, adding six birdies against just two bogeys to finish one shot clear of the field. The eagle on the 13th was particularly well-crafted — Chouhan found the fairway with a three-wood, then used his preferred rescue club for the approach before draining the putt from around 15 to 20 feet.

'I struck the ball well for most of the round and am very happy with where my game is,' Chouhan said. His comfort at Tollygunge Club is well-established — he won the last DP World PGTI event staged at the venue in February 2025. 'The conditions at Tollygunge Club suit my game, and I enjoy playing this course,' he added. 'I followed a similar game-plan today.'

Sandhu in Hot Pursuit

Former Asian Tour winner Ajeetesh Sandhu of Chandigarh sits one shot back after carding a seven-under 63. Starting from the 10th tee, Sandhu made eight birdies and a single bogey on the par-four first. His standout moment came on the 14th, where he played a low recovery shot through trees from the rough after missing the fairway right, found the green within 15 feet, and converted the putt.

'I had a very good day on the greens,' said Sandhu, who is ranked 18th on the DP World PGTI this season. He credited the momentum built during last week's J&K Open and subsequent practice for his sharp form. Adjusting from Srinagar's altitude to Kolkata's humid conditions required recalibrating his yardages — something he said he managed accurately on the day.

The Chasing Pack

Delhi's Shaurya Bhattacharya, ranked 17th on the DP World PGTI Rankings, and Pune's Kshitij Naveed Kaul, currently fifth in the season standings, are tied third after matching six-under 64s. A group of five players — including Bangladeshi duo Jamal Hossain and Badal Hossain, Greater Noida's Arjun Sharma, and 16-year-old Kartik Singh of Gurugram, one of the youngest professionals on tour — are tied fifth on five-under 65.

Bengaluru's Khalin Joshi, who turned 34 on Tuesday, carried form from his nine-shot victory at the JK Open into the new week, carding a four-under 66 to sit tied ninth. PGTI Rankings leader Saptak Talwar ended day one in tied 14th with a three-under 67. In total, 40 of the 132 players in the field finished at even-par or better on the par-70 course.

Chouhan's Credentials

Chouhan, who is based at Kalhaar Blues & Greens in Ahmedabad, topped the PGTI Order of Merit in 2023 and is a former HotelPlanner Tour winner. His opening-round lead sets up what promises to be a tightly contested final three rounds at one of Indian golf's most storied venues.