Port Louis (Mauritius), March 9 (NationPress) Rising golf star Veer Ganapathy, who celebrated his 18th birthday just over two weeks ago on March 25, achieved an impressive feat by scoring two birdies in the final three holes, finishing with a remarkable 5-under 67. This performance propelled him to the top of the leaderboard during the opening round of the AM Green IGPL Invitational 2026, held in Mauritius and hosted by Leander Paes.

As the day approached its conclusion, Sachin Baisoya, who demonstrated consistency throughout the 2025 season with several Top-3 finishes but no victories, showcased his skills with a dazzling finish after a cautious start. He concluded with three consecutive birdies in a bogey-free round of 67, tying with Ganapathy for the lead. Sachin's performance also helped his team, Phoenix Hyderabad, secure the lead in the team competition.

In a tie for third place were Amandeep Drall (69), Milind Soni (69), and Ridhima Dilawari (69). Amandeep, a former runner-up at the Hero Women’s Indian Open on the Ladies European Tour, alongside Ridhima, aims to replicate Pranavi Urs's success, who last year became the first woman to win an AM Green IGPL event in Mumbai.

In the standings, Olympian Udayan Mane and seasoned player Shiv Kapur were tied for sixth place with rounds of 2-under 70. Meanwhile, Aryan Roopa Anand, Varun Chopra, rookie Sukhman Singh, and Yashas Chandra shared the eighth spot with scores of 71 each.

Among other notable competitors, the 2025 AM Green IGPL Order of Merit leader Pukhraj Singh Gill finished T-12 with a score of 72, while Gaganjeet Bhullar, last year's winner of the AM Green IGPL Invitational 2026 Chandigarh, alongside Karandeep Kochhar, SSP Chawrasia, and Aman Raj, all ended up at T-15 with scores of 1-over 71.

In team standings, Phoenix Hyderabad, led by co-leader Sachin Baisoya (5-under 67) and Raghav Chugh (even par 72), topped the leaderboard at 5-under. RVR Delhi, with Shiv Kapur (2-under 70) and Aryan Roopa Anand (1-under 71), secured second place at 3-under. Green Fuels Vizag, featuring Milind Soni (3-under 69) and M Dharma (1-over 73), stood third at 2-under. The competition's format counts the two best scores from each of the four-member teams.

Veer, recognized as the ‘Young Turk’ for being the best Emerging Player in the inaugural season last year, began strongly at the Par-72 Anahita Golf Course, recording seven birdies alongside one early double bogey. He represents the GolfKonnekt Team from his hometown, Bangalore.

Later in the evening, Baisoya closed out the day with an impressive finish, scoring three birdies consecutively on holes 16, 17, and 18.

Players unanimously praised the beautiful course, known for hosting European Tour events, but noted its challenges, particularly from the winds.

Veer, a left-handed player coached by his father, Rahul Ganapathy, commented, “The course is fantastic but tough with winds blowing at 15-20 km per hour. After an early setback with an out-of-bounds shot resulting in a double bogey, I managed to play exceptionally well, with my putting being a key factor today.”

Having finished as runner-up in two events during the 2025 AM Green IGPL season—Kolkata and Dubai—Veer is now in a prime position to secure his first win. “I focused on physical fitness and yoga during the off-season, along with extensive practice, which seems to be paying off,” he added.

Veer quickly recovered from his double bogey by scoring three birdies starting from the fourth hole and added another on the ninth, finishing the front nine at 2-under. On the back nine, he birdied the 14th and scored consecutive birdies on the 16th and 17th. His only mistake of the day was a double bogey on the challenging Par-4 sixth hole.

Milind Soni, 20, who was drafted by Green Fuels Vizag at the auction, reflected on last year's inaugural AM Green IGPL season as a valuable learning experience. He began training with Rahul Bajaj, a former Asian Games team silver medallist, late last year.

“Rahul sir has greatly influenced my game. I am making fewer mistakes, and he has helped improve my swing and mental game,” Milind stated. “Today was fantastic, and I thoroughly enjoyed playing on the Anahita course. I am grateful for the chance to compete on the AM Green IGPL tour, which features remarkable venues.”

Amandeep began with a bogey on the fifth but quickly rebounded with a birdie on the seventh, finishing the front nine at even par. On the back nine, she scored an eagle on the Par-5 13th and capped off her round with a birdie on the final hole for a total of 3-under.

Milind Soni started with a bogey but managed to birdie the sixth and seventh holes. However, bogeys on the eighth and ninth holes pushed him to 1-over at the turn. He steadied himself on the back nine, securing an eagle on the Par-5 13th and a birdie on the 14th.

In the evening, Dilawari (69) finished strong, recording birdies on the final two holes, achieving four birdies overall against just one bogey to join the third-place tie. This tournament marks the second event in the AM Green IGPL season 2, which will feature a total of 15 events, ten hosted in India and five internationally.