Olympian Udayan Mane had a strong start at the IGPL Invitational South Africa, shooting 7-under 65 to share the lead with two others on the first day. Hyderabad’s Milind Soni and Indian American Manav Shah also had impressive starts with 65 each. Last year’s IGPL Rankings winner, Pukhraj Singh Gill, was one shot behind in fourth place.
In the team competition, Green Fuels Hyderabad took the lead with a combined score of 14-under, followed by Honer Gurugram in second place at 9-under. Krishna Punjab secured the third spot at 8-under. Sachin Baisoya, who recently broke his title drought, was in eighth place at 4-under.
Top women players after Day 1 were Vidhatri Urs and Vani Kapoor, both carding even par 72. Mane, who represented India at the Tokyo Olympics, showcased a strong performance with a bogey-free 65. Manav Shah and Milind Soni also continued their good form from previous events.
Pukhraj Singh Gill, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Karandeep Kochhar, and Saarthak Chhibber were among the top contenders at 5-under 67. The tournament, part of the AM Green IGPL, is the second leg of the African Swing series.
