Ahmedabad, Dec 2 (NationPress) Young sensation Veer Ganapathy bounced back from the disappointment of not making the cut last week, showcasing his skills at the IGPL Invitational Ahmedabad with an impressive round of 8-under 64, securing a three-shot advantage over special invitee Santiago de la Fuentes from Mexico.

Veer, the son of Rahul Ganapathy, a former India No. 1 and professional titleholder turned coach, demonstrated his talent with a flawless round. The long-hitting golfer, who has previously shown promise this season, recorded six birdies and an eagle at the Glade One Resort.

After missing the cut at the Bharath Classic, which was sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL), Veer chose to work on his game while others vied for larger prizes.

“I believed in my abilities, and despite the setback at Kensville, I was determined to excel this week. Every aspect of my game clicked, and I hope to keep this momentum going,” said the prodigious golfer, who is also guided by his father.

Veer began strong with birdies on the second, sixth, and eighth holes, capping his front nine with an eagle on the Par-4 ninth, finishing at 5-under 31. He continued to impress on the back nine with birdies at the 11th and back-to-back gains at the 13th and 14th holes. Although he parred the last four holes, he could have potentially added to his score. “It was a great day overall,” he remarked.

Santiago, the 2024 Latin America Amateur Championship winner, which earned him spots in three Majors – the Masters, the US Open, and the Open – showed why he is regarded as a rising star.

The 24-year-old, who studied in Houston, made a strong showing at the Bharath Classic, starting with four consecutive birdies. He finished with a 67, which placed him second after adding two more birdies against one bogey on the back nine.

Sachin Baisoya, who dazzled at Kensville with a 10-under final round, was at 6-under when he reached the 18th but suffered a double bogey, finishing tied for third with Harshjeet Singh Sethie, who has recently begun to reveal his potential, and Yashas Chandra, who also had five birdies and one bogey.

Golfing legend SSP Chawrasia showcased flashes of his greatness, finishing tied for fifth with Kapil Kumar, who had won at IGPL Pune, both at 3-under.

Kartik Singh, Filipino golfer Justin Quiban, Indian American Manav Shah, and Asian Development Tour winner Karandeep Kochhar were tied for eighth at 2-under. They were joined by Aalaap IL and Raghav Chugh, who both shot 70.

Gaganjeet Bhullar, making a return to golf and IGPL after attending to family matters, scored a hole-in-one on the Par-3 12th. Despite three bogeys on the front nine, he finished at 1-under, tying for 14th place with Pukhraj Singh Gill, the IGPL Jamshedpur winner.

Also tied for 14th was Ridhima Dilawari, who emerged as the top female player on Day One with a score of 1-under 71, as only 16 players managed to finish under par for the day.