Sunit Chowrasia, a 31-year-old golfer from Kolkata, shot an impressive eight-under 62 to lead by two shots in the DP World PGTI NexGen Vijay Kumar Memorial tournament at Lucknow Golf Club. Chowrasia, nephew of Indian golfing legend SSP Chawrasia, climbed from tied 13th to the top of the leaderboard with a total score of eight-under 132. He recorded eight birdies without any bogeys, securing the lowest round of the tournament.
Overnight leader Abhishek Kumar slipped to second place at six-under 134 after carding a one-under 69. Chowrasia, who won the last NexGen event, showcased exceptional performance with four consecutive birdies in the latter half of his round. He expressed satisfaction with his iron play and credited his success to giving himself ample opportunities and converting them effectively.
Abhishek Kumar, the 24-year-old golfer from Panchkula, acknowledged the need for patience on a challenging day where he had to recover from difficult situations. He emphasized the significance of the tournament, named after Vijay Kumar, in honoring the encouragement and guidance provided by the late golfer to young players. Pawan Kumar of Delhi secured third place with a two-under 68, moving to five-under 135.
The tournament witnessed a competitive field with players like Bipin Mukhiya, Rajesh Kumar Gautam, and Arjunveer Shishir sharing the fourth spot at three-under 137. The 36-hole cut saw 39 players advancing to the final round, with the winner of the 2026 DP World PGTI NexGen Order of Merit set to earn an exemption for the 2027 main tour.
