Akshay Sharma maintained his lead at the Chhattisgarh Open 2026 by delivering a remarkable bogey-free round of nine-under 60 for the second consecutive day. This outstanding performance propelled him to a three-shot lead at 18-under 120 in the PGTI’s season-opener at the Fairway Golf & Lake Resort in Naya Raipur.
Honey Baisoya and Anshul Kabthiyal, previously tied for fourth place and trailing by two shots, both scored eight-under 61 on Wednesday, advancing to joint second place at 15-under 123. Veer Ahlawat, a prominent contender, found himself tied for ninth position at 11-under 127, with the halfway cut set at six-under 132, allowing fifty-one professionals to progress.
Akshay Sharma, who led by one shot overnight, matched the record for the lowest score in a single round at the Fairway Golf & Lake Resort with another 60, consolidating his lead on the second day. The Chandigarh-based player, a three-time professional titleholder, maintained a flawless performance for the second consecutive day.
In his pursuit to end a five-year victory drought, the 35-year-old Akshay displayed exceptional skill by securing five birdies on the back-nine, including two 18-feet conversions and a near miss for a hole-in-one on the 17th hole. He continued his success on the front-nine, achieving two birdies and an eagle with precise iron shots that landed within five feet on all three occasions.
Expressing his satisfaction with his performance, Akshay stated, “I’ve been playing so well that it feels like a dream. I’ve been hitting it great. Before I started my round today, I looked up defending champion Shaurya Bhattacharya’s score and stats from last year. Shaurya had totaled 27-under for the week and had dropped just one bogey in the tournament. That helped me set my goal for the week. I’ll look to better Shaurya’s total and make it a bogey-free week. It’s all a result of the daily practice that I put in during the new-year break. My course management has also been top-notch this week. I switched my clubs recently and that has helped raise my game. The focus from here on will be on making most fairways and greens.”
