IGU Southern India Junior Boys Golf Championship: Vihaan vaults to top, opens up three-shot lead over Bainsla
Coimbatore, May 20
In-form Vihaan Jain handled the blustery conditions better than most of his rivals on Wednesday, during the second day of the IGU Southern India Junior Boys Golf Championship at the Coimbatore Golf Club.
Coming off his maiden junior victory in Vizag last week, 16-year-old Vihaan shot an even-par 72 to open up a three-shot lead over fellow Haryana golfer Prince Bainsla (74) in Category 'A' (15-17 years). Tamil Nadu's Nilofer Sivamoorthy (74) was a stroke further back in third place.
Overnight leader Adhiraaj Singh Gill (79) had a poor day in the office, slipping to a tie for fourth with Karnataka's Vivaan Ubhayakar (76) at nine-over 153.
After a sedate start, Vihaan picked up a shot on the ninth with a nine-foot curler. After the turn, he drained a 35-footer on the 13th for his second birdie. After finding the trees on the right with his drive, the leader managed to reach the green in three, but missed an eight-foot par putt.
He put that blemish behind him and birdied the 16th to go two-under for the day. However, the teenager dropped shots on the 17th and 18th holes (three-putting from 20 feet) to settle for an even-par 72.
In Category 'B' (13-14), Chaitanya Pandey (75) of Delhi took a five-shot lead over Telangana's Saatvic Kumar Singh (78). Order of Merit leader Jaibir Singh Kang (77) was one shot further behind.
In Category 'C' (11-12), Drona Singh Dhull (77), winner last week in Vizag, took a runaway eight-shot lead over Shan Alvi (86).
Leading scores (after 36 holes): Category 'A' (15-17 years): 147: Vihaan Jain (Haryana, 75, 72); 150: Prince Bainsla (Haryana, 76, 74); 151: Nilofer Sivamoorthy (Tamil Nadu, 77, 74); 153: Vivaan Ubhayakar (Karnataka, 77, 76), Adhiraaj Singh Gill (Punjab, 74, 79).
Category 'B' (13-14): 154: Chaitanya Pandey (Delhi, 79, 75); 159: Saatvic Kumar Singh (Telangana, 81, 78); 160: Jaibir Singh Kang (Haryana, 83, 77); 163: Aditya Tewari (Karnataka, 85, 78); 165: Siddhant Sharma (Haryana, 82, 83).
Category 'C' (11-12): 160: Drona Singh Dhull (Haryana, 83, 77); 168: Shan Alvi (Delhi, 82, 86); 169: Vivaan Shailesh Kudale (Maharashtra, 89, 80), Vivaan Singh (Karnataka, 87, 82); 170: Advith Sunil (Karnataka, 88, 82).
— ANI
Reader Comments
Adhiraaj Singh Gill had a tough day dropping from overnight leader to T4 but that's golf for you. Blustery conditions in Coimbatore are no joke - I've played there and the wind really changes things. Good to see Nilofer Sivamoorthy from Tamil Nadu doing well too, representing the host state!
The future of Indian golf is bright! Look at these young champs - Vihaan, Chaitanya, Drona - all showing such grit at such a young age. And they're from Haryana, Delhi, Karnataka... truly pan-Indian talent emerging! 👏
Nice to see golf getting coverage beyond just the big tournaments. These junior events are where future champions are made. I wish we had more public golf courses in India so kids from all backgrounds could try the sport. It's still too expensive and exclusive for most.
Impressive field from all over India. Vihaan's composure after the Vizag win shows real class. The 35-foot putt on the 13th must have been a sight! Three-putting from 20 feet on 18 is a bit of a worry though - these small mistakes can cost you titles.
Drona Singh Dhull with an eight-shot lead in Category C is phenomenal! Winning last week in Vizag and now dominating again - this kid has serious potential. Indian golf parents must be so proud seeing their children compete at this level. Chaitanya also doing great in Category B! 😊
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