Sunit Chowrasia of Kolkata fired a course-record six-under 64 on Wednesday, 17 June to surge to the top of the leaderboard at nine-under 131 after the second round of the inaugural ₹25 lakh PGTI NexGen – Varanasi at BLW Greens Golf Course, Varanasi. The 31-year-old, currently leading the PGTI NexGen Order of Merit, holds a two-shot advantage heading into the final round.

How Chowrasia Built the Lead

Starting off the par-5 ninth in the shotgun format, Chowrasia opened with an early birdie before unleashing four consecutive birdies across the 14th through 18th holes. A further gain on the par-4 fourth rounded off a record-setting card of six-under 64 — the joint-lowest round of the tournament — allowing him to pull clear of overnight co-leaders Mukeem Ali of Mathura and Dipankar Kaushal of Noida.

Chowrasia attributed his performance to a sharp driving game and reliable putting. 'My driving has been the biggest strength this week. I've been putting the ball in the right positions off the tee, which has made the course much easier to play. My putting has also been solid, especially from the 10 to 15-foot range, and that's helped me convert chances at important moments,' he said.

On the prospect of a third straight title, Chowrasia was measured: 'Of course, it would be special, but the focus is on tomorrow's round. I'll try to play my game, stay patient, and think about celebrating only after the job is done.'

Hemant Yadav Matches the Record on Home Turf

Hemant Yadav, a 28-year-old employee of Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) playing on his home course, matched Chowrasia's newly set course record with a brilliant six-under 64 of his own. The Varanasi golfer carded seven birdies against a lone bogey to climb from tied sixth overnight to sole second at seven-under 133, narrowing the gap to just two shots.

Playing in his maiden season on the DP World PGTI after earning his card through Qualifying School in January, Yadav currently sits 12th on the NexGen Order of Merit with four cuts made and two top-10 finishes this season. 'I felt I could have gone even lower because I missed a few makeable putts, but that's part of the game. A six-under round is always satisfying and gives me confidence going into the final day,' he said.

Rest of the Leaderboard

Overnight co-leader Mukeem Ali of Mathura carded a two-under 68 to move to five-under 135 in third place. Ali's round included an eagle on his opening hole and five birdies, but three bogeys and a double bogey checked his momentum. Delhi's Pawan Verma posted a second successive two-under 68 to occupy fourth at four-under 136. Kolkata's Souvik Nayak is fifth at two-under 138 after back-to-back rounds of one-under 69. Overnight co-leader Dipankar Kaushal slipped to tied ninth at two-over 142 following a difficult second-round 75.

The cut fell at six-over 146, with 36 of the 72 players advancing to the final round.

What Is at Stake in the Final Round

Chowrasia arrives at the final round on the back of consecutive wins at the Alpha Sports Academy Golf Championship hosted by Patna Golf Club in March and last week's Vijay Kumar Memorial in Lucknow. A victory on Thursday would hand him a hat-trick of titles on the PGTI NexGen. Beyond individual glory, the winner of this season's NexGen Order of Merit earns an exemption on the main DP World PGTI tour for the 2027 season — raising the stakes considerably for every player in contention.