Did Shaurya Bhattacharya Lead the Way in Round One of the PGTI Players Championship?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Kolkata, Feb 17 (NationPress) Shaurya Bhattacharya, a three-time champion on the PGTI Tour, took the lead in the opening round of the INR 1.5 crore PGTI Players Championship 2026 at the Tollygunge Club in Kolkata.
The 23-year-old Bhattacharya, coming off a top-10 finish in Asia the previous week and participating in his first event of the 2026 DP World PGTI season, climbed to the top of the leaderboard with two eagles, achieving a remarkable score of six-under 64 on the Par-70 course.
Based in Delhi, Bhattacharya’s namesake, Shaurya Sharma, who is in his second professional season, followed closely with a score of 65, tying for second place with Manish Thakran, a prior winner on the PGTI NexGen circuit last year. Starting from the 10th hole, Bhattacharya had an impressive start, making two birdies and an eagle on the 13th, which he secured with a chip-in.
Despite a bogey on the 16th hole, Bhattacharya’s round remained strong as he added another eagle on hole four, followed by a birdie on the seventh, where he holed his approach shot from 110 yards for an eagle-two.
After finishing third in the DP World PGTI Ranking last season due to his two victories, Bhattacharya expressed, “I’m pleased with my consistency, hitting fairways and greens effectively. My driving has been exceptional, and my errors are becoming less frequent. I’ve gained valuable insights from last year’s performances, and my strong showing in Malaysia last week has boosted my confidence. It’s wonderful to kick off the year with a top-10 finish.”
Shaurya Sharma, who achieved a top-15 finish at the PGTI Qualifying School in January, recorded six birdies and one bogey on his first day, including a chip-in and two conversions from distances of 15 and 30 feet.
Manish Thakran also recorded six birdies and a bogey on Tuesday, consistently landing within seven feet for birdies. The top-performing golfer from Kolkata was Mohammad Sanju, who carded a score of 68, placing him tied for 15th.