Sunit Chowrasia of Kolkata carded a flawless eight-under 62 on Wednesday to seize a two-shot lead after the second round of the inaugural ₹25 lakh DP World PGTI NexGen Vijay Kumar Memorial at Lucknow Golf Club. The 31-year-old, nephew of Indian golfing legend SSP Chawrasia, produced the lowest round of the tournament — eight birdies, zero bogeys — to move to a 36-hole aggregate of eight-under 132.

How Chowrasia Took Control

Starting from the par-4 ninth in the shotgun format, Chowrasia picked up three birdies on his opening nine before catching fire on the back stretch. He reeled off four consecutive birdies from the third through the sixth hole, adding a fifth on his second nine to complete a round that propelled him from tied 13th to the summit of the leaderboard.

'I got off to a steady start and was three-under through my first nine holes. The momentum really picked up on the second nine, where I made four consecutive birdies from the third to the sixth,' Chowrasia said. He credited sharp iron play on the par-3s: 'I hit my irons particularly well... I was able to get the ball close to the flag. Most of my birdies came from good approach shots that left me relatively short putts.'

Abhishek Kumar Holds Second Place

Overnight leader Abhishek Kumar, 24, of Panchkula posted a second successive bogey-free round — a one-under 69 — to sit at six-under 134, two adrift of Chowrasia. The winner of the season-opening NexGen event in Faridabad and currently fourth on the Order of Merit, Abhishek acknowledged that patience was his chief asset on a demanding day. 'The course tested my patience today. There were a few holes where I found myself in tricky spots, including one on the sixth where I was blocked by a tree, but I managed to recover well,' he said. He added that the occasion carries personal weight: 'This event is special because it carries Vijay Kumar's name. He always encouraged and guided young players, so it would be very meaningful to do well here.'

The Rest of the Leaderboard

Pawan Kumar, 41, of Delhi followed his opening 67 with a two-under 68 to claim sole third place at five-under 135. A four-way tie for fourth at three-under 137 includes Bipin Mukhiya of Noida — the current NexGen Order of Merit leader — Rajesh Kumar Gautam of Lucknow (third on the NexGen standings), and the remarkable 15-year-old Arjunveer Shishir of Panchkula. Rishi Kumar, another Lucknow local, sits tied seventh at two-under 138.

The 36-hole cut fell at six-over 146, with 39 of 71 players advancing to the final round on Thursday.

What Is at Stake

Chowrasia enters the final round looking to win back-to-back NexGen titles — he claimed the previous event, the Alpha Sports Academy Golf Championship at Patna Golf Club. He currently sits sixth on the NexGen Order of Merit. The stakes are high for all contenders: the winner of the 2026 DP World PGTI NexGen Order of Merit earns an automatic exemption on the main PGTI tour for the 2027 season. With a two-shot cushion and the tournament's low round already to his name, Chowrasia is well-placed — but Abhishek Kumar's consistency over two bogey-free rounds makes him a credible threat heading into the finale.