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Veer Ahlawat's Hot Streak: A 65 Earns Him Lead at Historic CIDCO Open

Veer Ahlawat is off to a flying start at the new CIDCO Open. His six-under 65 gave him a two-shot lead after the first round. The event is making history as the first professional tournament at the Kharghar Valley Golf Course. The day also featured two exciting holes-in-one from other competitors.

Key Points: Veer Ahlawat Leads CIDCO Open 2025 with First-Round 65

  • Veer Ahlawat carded six birdies and an eagle for a six-under 65
  • Italy's Michele Ortolani and American Koichiro Sato are tied second at 67
  • Two holes-in-one were recorded by Dipankar Kaushal and Mani Ram
  • The event marks the first professional tournament at the new Kharghar Valley Golf Course
2 min read

CIDCO Open 2025: Veer Ahlawat shoots 65 for two-shot lead on day one in Navi Mumbai

Veer Ahlawat fires a 65 to set the course record and take a two-shot lead on day one of the inaugural CIDCO Open 2025 at Kharghar Valley Golf Course.

"I’ve been feeling good about my game since returning to play on the PGTI in October. I’ve had good results, including a victory. - Veer Ahlawat"

Navi Mumbai, Dec 16

India’s Veer Ahlawat, who won on the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) two weeks back, continued his consistent form with a six-under 65 that gave him a two-shot lead on Day One of the INR 1 crore CIDCO Open 2025, the first-ever professional event being played at the Kharghar Valley Golf Course (KVGC) in Navi Mumbai.

With the first-ever competitive round being played at the KVGC on Tuesday, Gurugram-based Veer’s 65 will count as the course record. Italy’s Michele Ortolani and American Koichiro Sato shot scores of four-under 67 at the Par-71 course to occupy tied second position.

There were two more foreign players in the top eight as Uganda’s Joshua Seale and Sri Lankan N. Thangaraja were tied fourth with scores of 68, along with the Indian trio of Manoj S, Dhruv Sheoran, and Manu Gandas.

Dipankar Kaushal (69) and Mani Ram (75) fired holes-in-one to be tied 10th and tied 69th, respectively. Mani Ram, who scored the first hole-in-one at the new venue, had his moment of glory on the 17th hole, while Dipankar achieved the feat on the third hole in the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited (CIDCO) Open.

Veer Ahlawat, a 10th-tee starter on Tuesday, got some early momentum with a three-foot birdie conversion on the 12th and a 20-foot eagle conversion on the 14th. The 29-year-old Veer, taking full advantage of his long-hitting prowess on a course suited for long hitters, made further strides with birdie tap-ins on the first and second holes. Ahlawat drained a 15-footer for his last birdie of the day on the fourth.

“I’ve been feeling good about my game since returning to play on the PGTI in October. I’ve had good results, including a victory. This course suits my game as I feel three out of the four Par-5s are reachable in two shots, while a couple of Par-4s are drivable distance for me. However, coming from colder weather at last week’s event in Delhi, one needs to adapt quickly to the warmer conditions here. I enjoyed my first competitive round here at KVGC and feel it’s a great layout,” Ahlawat said.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
So proud to see a professional golf tournament of this scale in Navi Mumbai! Kharghar Valley looks like a world-class venue. Great for promoting the sport in our region. Congratulations to Mani Ram for that first hole-in-one!
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Aman W
The international field is strong with players from Italy, USA, Uganda, and Sri Lanka in the top 10. Makes Veer's lead even more impressive. Shows the growing standard of the PGTI.
S
Sarah B
Interesting to read about the course suiting long hitters. Veer's strategy seems spot on. Adapting from Delhi's cold to Mumbai's warmth in a week is no small feat. Shows his professionalism.
K
Karthik V
While the coverage is good, I wish there was more detail on the other Indian players like Manoj S and Dhruv Sheoran who are tied 4th. The focus is always only on the leader. They deserve recognition too!
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Nisha Z
Two holes-in-one on the first day! That's amazing luck and skill for Dipankar and Mani Ram. Must have been an electric atmosphere at the new course. Hope they show highlights on TV.

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