Dubai, Oct 24 (NationPress) The current All India Amateur champion, Anshul Mishra, is on the brink of a Top-10 finish during his debut at the 16th Asia Pacific Amateur Championship. The young golfer from Kolkata began his journey with an even par 72 on day one, and followed it up with an impressive 3-under 69, bringing his total to 3-under after two days, placing him Tied-13th in one of the most prestigious amateur tournaments globally. The champion earns an invitation to the 2026 Masters and the 2026 Open.

Mishra trails the leading trio by eight strokes, consisting of Rintaro Nakano (67-66), Khanh Hung Le from Vietnam (66-67), and Harry Takis of Australia (67-66), all sitting at 11-under at the Majilis Course of the Emirates Golf Club. Taisei Nagasaki from Japan ranks third at 10-under, while Takis, still on the course, stands at 10-under.

Recently celebrating his 17th birthday, Mishra is the top Indian competitor at the midpoint, with four out of five Indian players successfully making the cut. Despite a single bogey on the 16th hole after starting from the tenth, he was glad to achieve three of his four birdies on Par-5s.

“In the first round I was 1-over for the Par-5s, but today was good,” Mishra stated.

Alongside Mishra, Raghav Gulati (73-70) is T-19, Rakshit Dahiya (72-72) is T-23, and Ranveer Mitroo (74-71) is T-28. Overall, it was a positive day for the Indian team, with Mishra, Gulati, and Mitroo all shooting under par, while Dahiya carded par. Harman Sachdeva was the only player to finish over par.

Dubai resident Gulati, a frequent player on this course, recorded a 2-under 70, featuring an eagle and three birdies against three bogeys, bouncing back from his first-round 73. His bogeys occurred between the 11th and 15th holes, including a birdie on the 12th and an eagle on the 13th.

Dahiya, who holds the highest WAGR ranking among the Indian squad, completed his second consecutive round of 72, marked by two birdies, two bogeys, and numerous missed opportunities despite hitting most greens in regulation. Mitroo recorded four birdies against three bogeys, while Sachdeva, with scores of 79-73, missed the cut by two strokes.

Mishra expressed, “My main goal was not to drop any shots. I would have liked a bogey-free round, but I ended with one. I’ll take it. Hopefully, I can make more birdies on both nines, and I will maintain the same mindset as today.”

Regarding his proximity to the Top-10, he added, “It’s definitely in my mind that I have a solid chance to finish strong, but I won’t focus on that over the next two days. I want to take it one hole and one shot at a time, sticking to my process.”

Co-leaders Nakano (66) and Khanh Hung Le (67) enjoyed a remarkable day.

Nakano is participating in his third AAC. In 2024 at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba in Japan, he held the lead after 36 holes but finished two strokes behind Wenyi Ding in third place. Earlier this year, he secured T-8 at the Eisenhower Trophy in Singapore. In 2023, he triumphed in the Japan Amateur Championship, joining past champions including Takumi Kanaya and Keita Nakajima.

Le is competing in his second AAC in 2025. Earlier this year, he claimed victory at the Juan Sebastian Munoz Cup in Colombia and finished as runner-up in the Vietnam Junior Open. In 2024, he secured T-11 at the Junior Players Championship in Florida and represented the International team in the Junior Presidents Cup in Canada. He finished T-24 in the 2023 AAC. This year, Takis won the Singapore Open Amateur by an impressive 11 strokes.