The 33-year-old Bengaluru golfer produced a calculated round featuring nine birdies and a lone bogey on the 17th hole to establish a two-shot advantage. Chandigarh\u2019s Ajeetesh Sandhu and Gurugram-based rookie Harman Sachdeva shared second place after carding matching six-under 65s.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Khalin Joshi, a former Asian Tour winner and multiple winner on the DP World PGTI, began the second half of the season impressively, following up on his Andhra Open triumph in Visakhapatnam in April.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Two chip-ins highlighted his round. He found the bottom of the cup from the left of the green on the par-three third before chipping in again from short of the 15th green. \u201cI putted really well and also chipped in twice, which was special because I hadn\u2019t holed a chip in a long time. I\u2019m very happy with the way I played today,\u201d said Khalin.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Joshi has fond memories of Royal Springs, having previously performed well at the venue in 2014 and 2021. He said the relaxed surroundings helped him keep things light during his opening round.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe all treat coming to Srinagar like a holiday, with the golf being a bonus. The course is stunning, and I don\u2019t think any picture can do justice to this place. It feels like we\u2019re in heaven. I\u2019m looking forward to enjoying the views and hopefully putting together three more good rounds,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Ajeetesh Sandhu, playing alongside Joshi, mixed eight birdies with two bogeys. The 37-year-old made an uncertain start but settled into his round after striking his approach to four feet for a birdie on the difficult fourth hole. \u201cThe birdie on the fourth changed the momentum and helped me settle down,\u201d said Sandhu. \u201cI came into the event feeling fresh after spending a month at home, working in the gym and practising with my coach.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sandhu, a former Asian Tour winner, led Rajasthan Regals to victory at the inaugural edition of the DP World PGTI\u2019s \u201872 The League\u2019. He is dividing his time between the Asian Tour and the DP World PGTI and has recorded consecutive fifth-place finishes at the Andhra Open and the Boulders Classic this season.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Playing his first competitive round in Srinagar after a long gap, Sandhu also enjoyed the return to Royal Springs. \u201cIt\u2019s great to be back. The scenery is beautiful, the people are welcoming and walking around this course helps take your mind off the usual stresses of competitive golf,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The 18-year-old Harman Sachdeva, playing his rookie season, returned the only bogey-free round of the day, a six-under 65. The Gurugram golfer has made seven starts this season, with a tied-fifth finish at the DP World Players Championship in Kolkata being his best result.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Playing his first competitive round in Srinagar after a long gap, Sandhu also enjoyed the return to Royal Springs. \u201cIt\u2019s great to be back. The scenery is beautiful, the people are welcoming and walking around this course helps take your mind off the usual stresses of competitive golf,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The par-four 11th hole was shortened and played as a par-three due to waterlogging caused by heavy rain over the last two days.<\/p>\r\n\r\n