Can Kartik Singh Secure His First Pro Win at IGPL Delhi NCR?

Greater Noida (U.P.), Sep 18 (NationPress) - Kartik Singh stands on the brink of a significant achievement in his budding career, currently holding a three-shot advantage over a talented field at the IGPL Delhi NCR event hosted by Gaurav Ghei. The 16-year-old golfer, who made a commendable eighth-place finish in his professional debut last week in Chandigarh, carded a 3-under 67 on a course adjusted to Par-70 during the second round.

Due to heavy rain and waterlogging, hole four was modified to a Par-3, reducing the overall Par for the Jaypee Greens course to 70, with the first two rounds totaling Par 142 (72-70). Kartik began with a 68 (-4) and followed up with a 3-under 67, bringing his total to seven-under 135 in just his second professional outing.

Having clinched multiple titles on the junior and amateur circuits, Kartik is now just a step away from a pro victory, which carries a prize of Rs. 22.50 lakhs. He leads by three strokes over the seasoned Karandeep Kochhar (70-68) at 4-under 138 and the powerful Pukhraj Singh Gill (72-66).

Gaganjeet Bhullar, who won the first IGPL Invitational in Chandigarh last week, added an even-par 70 to his earlier 2-under 70, placing him at 2-under 140. He is tied for fourth alongside Kartik Sharma (70-70), Veer Ganapathy (69-71), and Raghav Chugh (72-68).

Four players, including three-time Asian Tour champion Shiv Kapur (73-68), IL Aalaap (69-71), Syed Saqib Ahmed (74-67), and Sunhit Bishnoi (73-68), are tied for eighth at 1-under 141.

The young prodigy Kartik began his round with a bogey but quickly bounced back with a birdie on the Par-5 second. He added two more birdies on the fifth and seventh holes, with a bogey on the ninth, turning in at 1-under.

On the back nine, he maintained steady play with birdies on the tenth, 14th, and 15th but dropped a shot on the 16th, finishing with a 2-under back nine for a total of 3-under.

Kartik's three-shot lead is impressive, considering he is competing against seasoned Asian Tour winners like Bhullar and Kapur. Despite the pressure, the young golfer expressed enthusiasm for the final day, stating he enjoys the excitement of professional golf on the IGPL Tour.

“The last two weeks have been fantastic. Last week at IGPL Chandigarh was my first pro tournament, and I was thrilled. It has always been my dream to turn professional, and I am thankful to the IGPL for this experience,” he shared.

Kartik, who was tied for eighth last week, added, “I approached this tournament like any other. I have played this course as a junior and amateur. The only difference is the higher stakes and the presence of many skilled senior professionals.”

Discussing his performance, he noted, “Over the last two days, I’ve played well. If I can maintain this level and minimize mistakes, I’ll be pleased. Tomorrow is a crucial day for me.”

On his ambitions, he humbly concluded, “I’ve always aspired to play professional golf, with the PGA as my ultimate goal, and I believe IGPL can help me achieve that.”

Kochhar, who won a pro title as a 17-year-old amateur, praised Kartik, saying, “It’s impressive to see him performing so well. We have many talented young stars emerging.”

Reflecting on his IGPL debut, he remarked, “I missed last week’s event due to a tournament in Indonesia, but I’m happy to be competing here. I played at this venue on the PGTI Tour earlier this year, but my last visit was a decade ago, so I’m eager for the final day.”

Pukhraj Gill had a slow start but found his rhythm on the back nine. After a bogey on the Par-5 second, he picked up birdies on the third and fifth holes. However, a double bogey on the Par-4 sixth was a setback. He managed to turn his performance around with three consecutive birdies on the 10th, 11th, and 12th holes and added two more birdies on the 16th and 18th for a remarkable back nine of 5-under, totaling 4-under for the day. Kartik, Kochhar, and Gill will lead the final group.

The top female player was Amandeep Drall (73-70) in 14th place, while the leading amateurs were Arshvant Srivastava (73-76) and Ananyaa Sood (77-72), both at 7-over 149 and tied for 29th.