Jamshedpur, December 25 (NationPress) Khalin Joshi and Veer Ahlawat claimed the top honors on the inaugural day of the Tata Open 2025, a prestigious INR 2 crore tournament and the season finale of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), currently taking place at the Beldih and Golmuri golf courses in Jamshedpur on Thursday.

During the first round, half of the competitors completed their 18 holes at Beldih Golf Club, while the other half competed at Golmuri Golf Club. For round two, both groups will swap venues.

Both Khalin and Veer posted impressive scores of seven-under 63 at Golmuri, leading the clubhouse as the first round was suspended on Thursday. Bangladesh's Md Siddikur Rahman secured third place in the clubhouse with a score of six-under 64 at Golmuri.

Out of 126 players, ten could not finish their first round on Thursday due to play being halted by diminishing light. These players will resume their rounds at 7 am on Friday.

Veer Ahlawat, who has celebrated two victories this year and triumphed in Jamshedpur at the Tata Steel Tour Championship last year, recorded eight birdies against a single bogey to secure a spot at the top on day one.

Veer commented, “I’ve performed well in Jamshedpur in recent years, so I’m familiar with both courses and can adjust accordingly. I struck well off the tee today and capitalized on my opportunities on the greens.

“I aim to achieve a five or six under at Beldih in round two, which could position me favorably at the halfway point.”

Khalin Joshi also combined eight birdies with a bogey to share the lead with Veer. Khalin stated, “Adapting quickly to the greens is crucial this week. I executed that well today and putted effectively within the five-foot range.”

The Tata Open 2025 boasts a prize pool of INR 2 crore and marks the final leg of the 2025 PGTI season. The tournament features a field of 126 professionals, competing in a stroke-play format over four rounds of 18 holes each. The top 50 players and ties will make the cut after two rounds.

This unique tournament is one of the few globally that is held across two venues. The format includes: in round one, one half of the field plays 18 holes at Beldih Golf Club and the other half at Golmuri Golf Club. In the second round, both halves will alternate venues. The leading groups will tee off from Golmuri in rounds three and four, playing their first nine holes there before transitioning to Beldih for their second nine holes.