Nuh (Haryana), Feb 24 (NationPress) Kartik Singh, who has just celebrated his 16th birthday, made a remarkable impression at the PGTI’s 72 The League, where the young talent from Mumbai Aces faced off against the in-form American Jhared Hack from Nava Raipur. The thrilling contest unfolded at the Classic Golf & Country Club in Nuh, Haryana, and ended with both players halving their match after making it to the 18th hole.

Singh was leading by 1-up after 15 holes, but Hack made a comeback with a birdie. The tension peaked on the 18th hole, with both players executing excellent tee shots. Hack, having recently shot a remarkable 59 in a PGTI event in Chhattisgarh, hit his second shot on the par-5 18th to within 12 feet, increasing the stakes for Singh.

In response, Singh showcased his skill by landing his second shot from 210 yards to just 16 feet. Although both players missed their eagle putts, they ended the match tied.

“Of course, I wished I could have made that putt on the last hole to win, but I’m genuinely pleased to have halved the match. It was incredibly challenging,” remarked Singh, who turned professional last year. “He didn’t give me many chances to take the lead since he played very consistently. I made six birdies, but it seemed like every time I made one, he matched it.”

Singh expressed pride in being selected by his team for the singles match, stating, “Singles are the first to tee off and the initial match sets the day's tone.”

The Rajasthan Regals, led by Captain Ajeetesh Sandhu, also began their day on a high note, finishing unbeaten against the formidable Kolkata Classics. They secured victories in both their singles and foursomes matches, with Akshay Sharma and Jairaj Singh Sandhu managing to tie against the strong duo of Khalin Joshi and Angad Cheema.

The foursomes saw a commendable win for the Regals as Chikkarangappa S. and Dhruv Sheoran triumphed over Rashid Khan and Ajay Baisoya with a score of 3&2, despite losing two of the first six holes.

After the round, Sandhu commented, “It was very satisfying. I’m delighted with the outcome. We had a solid strategy heading into today, and we executed it well. That was our aim, and I’m thrilled we were able to achieve it.”

Sandhu further explained, “We discussed our strategy last night, and it turned out to be a mix-and-match approach. A couple of players clicked immediately, making for a strong pairing. Others felt confident about their games and wanted to take part in singles. It was a bit of an adjustment, but every team is figuring it out as they progress.”

Rajasthan’s K. Prabagaran made history by securing the first win in the PGTI’s 72nd League, defeating veteran Mukesh Kumar with a score of 5&4.

The Sri Lankan golfer, who won the 2006 All-India Amateur Championship, won the third and fourth holes with birdies and continued to lead without looking back, which included a well-calibrated 25-foot putt on the fourth. “I truly enjoy playing singles and felt I performed well against Mukesh. I made several excellent putts and drove the ball decently. It’s a proud moment for me to have scored the first point of the new league,” Prabagaran stated.

The last match of the day featured a fourball between Nava Raipur’s Shivendra Singh Sisodia and Mohammed Azhar against Tapendra Ghai and Kushal Singh of Mumbai Aces, which could not be completed due to fading light. The two teams will resume play on Monday when the tournament returns to this location.

The second round of the league is scheduled for Tuesday at Jaypee Greens Golf Course in Noida, where the Rajasthan Regals will face the Charminar Champions, while other matches will include Kolkata Classics against Mumbai Aces and UP Prometheans against Nava Raipur.

League standings after the first round:

• Rajasthan Regals – 13 points
• UP Prometheans – 8 points
• Nava Raipur – 8 points*
• Charminar Champions – 5 points
• Mumbai Aces – 2 points*
• Kolkata Classics – 1 point

(Note: * indicates one unfinished fourball match, with results to be determined on Monday).