Tour Championship: Chhibber, Bedi, and Thangaraja Lead After Opening Round
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Jamshedpur, Dec 19 (NationPress) Delhi’s Saarthak Chhibber, Chandigarh’s Aadil Bedi, and Sri Lankan golfer N. Thangaraja each registered impressive scores of six-under 65 to jointly occupy the leading position after the first round of the INR 3 crore Tour Championship 2024, which serves as the season-culminating event of the PGTI, taking place at the Beldih and Golmuri Golf Courses on Thursday.
Tied for second place are four players, all at five-under 66: Rohan Dhole Patil from Pune, Shamim Khan of Delhi, M Dharma from Bengaluru, and Jamal Hossain of Bangladesh.
Among the six players sharing the eighth position with scores of four-under 67 are two-time TATA Steel Tour Championship winner Udayan Mane, PGTI Ranking leader Veer Ahlawat, and SSP Chawrasia. The defending champion, two-time titleholder Gaganjeet Bhullar, posted an even-par 71, placing him tied for 34th.
The tournament’s opening round featured half of the participants playing the first nine holes at the Golmuri Golf Course followed by the second nine at Beldih, while the remaining half experienced the reverse order. This format will persist for the subsequent three rounds of the event in Jamshedpur, with the par set at 71.
Starting off strong, Saarthak Chhibber, currently in 27th place on the PGTI merit list with three top-10 finishes this season, quickly secured three birdies in his first six holes, consistently hitting the ball close to the pin. After a bogey on the eighth hole, he bounced back spectacularly, executing an excellent chip shot to set up a birdie on the ninth.
With top-tier ball striking, the 26-year-old Saarthak, eager to achieve his maiden title, added three more birdies on the back nine, including an impressive up-and-down from the bunker. Notably, Chhibber birdied all four par-5 holes.
Reflecting on his performance, Saarthak stated, “I enjoyed a very hot start. The early birdies and three good par-saves, including two from long-range, maintained my momentum. I was consistently hitting it close, and thankfully, my short game held up. Although my last two events didn’t go well, I’m bringing the confidence from my consistent performances this season.”
He further commented on the course conditions, saying, “The conditions have been excellent on both golf courses. I feel one can adopt a more aggressive approach on Golmuri, while Beldih requires a bit more strategic planning.”
Aadil Bedi faced a one-over score through the back nine, managing two birdies but suffering three bogeys. Yet, the 48th ranked player on the PGTI money list made a significant comeback with a stellar front nine, where he secured five birdies along with an eagle on the final hole. His eagle and two birdies came from impressive conversions from distances of 10 to 15 feet.
Aadil remarked, “After a slow start, I found my rhythm in the second half of my round. While my scores don’t fully reflect it, my game is trending positively. At this point, it’s about consolidating my performance throughout this week.”
N. Thangaraja, currently 38th on the PGTI Order of Merit, showcased his skills with seven birdies and a single bogey during his round of 65, thus sharing the opening day accolades with Saarthak and Aadil. The three local professionals from Jamshedpur—Karan Taunk (72), Digvijay Singh (74), and Kurush Heerjee (78)—ranked tied 45th, tied 54th, and tied 60th, respectively.
