Pune, Oct 2 (NationPress) Kartik Singh, a rising star in the golfing world, made headlines once again at the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) Invitational Pune. He delivered an impressive bogey-free score of eight under 63, bringing his total to 11-under after two rounds and securing his leading position ahead of the decisive final round at the Poona Golf Course.

Having led previously in the IGPL Invitational NCR, Kartik maintained a two-shot advantage, though it briefly seemed it could be more substantial. Kapil Kumar made a strong comeback with four birdies toward the end, finishing bogey-free with a score of 6-under, totaling 9-under.

In remarkable form, Kartik showcased his prowess by consistently hitting fairways. He stated, “If you are in the fairways, there is always a birdie chance.”

Kapil echoed this sentiment, saying, “I stayed patient, and things began to work for me on the back nine. I had four birdies on the back nine, which helped me stay in close contention.”

Kartik started with a shotgun blast from the second hole and quickly gained momentum, scoring birdies on the third and fourth holes, followed by an eagle on the seventh. “The seventh is a short Par-5. I executed a great tee shot and followed it up with a 6-Iron to 10 feet, making the putt,” he recounted.

He added four more birdies on the back nine, including the 11th, 12th, 14th, and 17th, though he felt a tinge of disappointment with a par on the Par-5 18th hole.

Pleased with his course management, Kartik remarked, “There’s often no need to pull out the driver. Focusing on hitting the fairways proved rewarding. While I might have missed a couple of birdie opportunities on the last holes, an 8-under is commendable, even if my personal best is 9-under in Thailand.”

Looking ahead to the final day, he noted, “The key is to maintain focus and replicate my performance.”

Renowned player Gaurav Ghei, a three-time winner on the Asian Tour, praised Kartik, stating, “Shooting 8-under is exceptional any day, but for a 15-year-old to achieve this is extraordinary. His consistency is remarkable, especially since he just turned professional. He has a bright future ahead.”

Overnight co-leader Sunhit Bishnoi (68) stood at 7-under in solo third place, while fellow co-leader Pukhraj Singh Gill (70) shared fourth with Ranjit Singh (68), Sachin Baisoya (69), and Saarthak Chibber (69), who is gaining confidence.

The top female contender, Sneha Singh (68), finished 3-under, tied for 10th place.

Sunhit expressed satisfaction with his game despite an early bogey on the second hole after starting from the first. He managed to convert birdies on the seventh and ninth, finishing 1-under on the front nine. He added consecutive birdies on the 12th and 13th but dropped another bogey on the 15th before closing with a birdie.

“Staying on the fairways is crucial as the rough can be challenging,” said Bishnoi, whose sister, Gaurika, is an established professional on the Women’s Professional Golf Tour of India.

Aman Raj (65), with seven birdies against just one bogey, improved his standing and was tied for eighth with Yashas Chandra (68) at 4-under 138, seven strokes behind the leader. With the course rewarding those who find the fairways, they still have a chance to improve their standings on the final day.

Sneha, who began on the seventh hole, parred the first five holes, then scored three consecutive birdies. A bogey on the 17th was followed by another on the 18th, but she recovered with a birdie on the third hole. Although she had a late bogey on the fifth, she remained within the Top-10 alongside IL Aalaap (69), Raghav Chugh (70), Harshjeet Singh Sethie (70), and Shaurya Binu (69) at 3-under 139 over two days.

Other notable female competitors included Ananya Garg (70) at T-15, Hitaashee Bakshi (74) at T-19, and Ridhima Dilawari (75) at T-24.

For the women, this event serves as important preparation for the upcoming Hero Women’s Indian Open next week.