Lubumbashi, April 21
Tushar Pannu, who has less than a year's experience as a professional, showed that he is a fast learner and registered a round of 6-under 67 at the Par-73 Golf Club Lubumbashi as AM Green IGPL made its debut in Congo.
Pannu, 21, who turned pro last year and came through the Qualifying School, had five birdies, an eagle, and one bogey in his superb round.
He was sharing the lead with Mannat Brar, 19, the newly minted Women's Golf Association pro, who also carded 6-under 67, but was bogey-free for the day.
The IGPL Invitational Congo is the fourth leg of the IGPL Tour 2026, and this week is the third event in African Swing. After the opening leg in Chandigarh, the IGPL travelled to Mauritius and Joburg, South Africa. The event this week is being played at the Par-73 Golf Club de Lubumbashi, a well-known eco-friendly golf facility in Congo.
As Pannu and Mannat shared the top spot, rookie pro, Sukhman Singh also gave an indication of the upcoming talent on the AM Green IGPL Tour. The tall strapping Sukhman, son of former top amateur Simarjeet Singh, shot 5-under 68, was sole third.
The pedigreed Aman Raj, a multiple AM Green IGPL winner in 2025, shared the fourth place with Harendra Gupta, as they all shot 4-under 69.
Hot on their heels was last week's winner, Udayan Mane, the in-form Indo-American Manav Shah and Syed Saqib Ahmed, all of who shot 3-under 70 and were tied-sixth.
A big bunch of seven players including Saarthak Chhibber, Sunhit Bishnoi, rookie pros Danish Verma and Kanav Chauhan, Digraj Singh Gill, I.L. Aalaap and Aryan Roopa Anand were all tied for the ninth place with scores of 2-under 71 each.
Haryana golfer Pannu, a long hitting youngster, seemed to have taken the cue from Atri Mumbai teammate, Udayan Mane, this week. He started from the tenth but had an early bogey on the 11th, his second hole. He recovered and never looked back as he parred the next three holes before going on a birdie spree from the 15th to the 18th. A string of pars followed on the front nine and then he added another birdie and ended the day with a stunning eagle for a 67.
Mannat Brar, who created history by becoming the first Indian to reach the semi-finals of British Girls Amateur Championship in England in Oct 2024, turned pro earlier this year. Mannat, who has played a lot of international golf for the National team, has played three pro events on the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour, and finished in Top-10 twice.
After modest performances Mauritius and Joburg, Mannat was in full flow in Congo. She started from the first and birdied second, fourth, sixth and the seventh and turned in 4-under. Two more birdies followed on the 15th and the 17th and then came a closing par for a day's work of 6-under 67 and a share of the top spot.
Mannat is attempting to become only the second Indian woman golfer to win a mixed gender pro event. Last year Pranavi Urs became the first one to do so at AM Green IGPL Mumbai.
Sukhman Singh, too, impressed with two eagles in a span of four holes as he picked two shots each on Par-5 sixth and the Par-5 ninth. Overall he had two eagles, three birdies against two bogeys for a solid start as he trailed the leaders by just one.
Harendra Gupta who had a Top-10 in the season-opener in Chandigarh, eagled the 18th, besides which he had four birdies and two bogeys in a round of 69.
Aman Raj, a Top-5 finisher in Chandigarh and Mauritius, had a dip in Joburg, but showed he is back as he dropped an early bogey on the third, but made up with five birdies, three between the sixth and the ninth, and two more on the back nine.
In the team competition, Atri Mumbai, who did well last week, were once again in great form as Pannu (67) and Aman Raj (69) carried them to the first day's lead at 10-under and two ahead of Leander Paes' team, Flying Man Kolkata, for whom the stars were Sukhman Singh (68) and Syed Saqib Ahmed (70).
Green Fuels Vizag, powered by Manav Shah (70), who was third last week, and young Danish Verma (71) were third at 5-under.
- IANS
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