IGPL Invitational Hyderabad: Dwivedi, Bhullar Share The Lead As Veer Ganapathy, Manav Shah Give Chase

IGPL Invitational Hyderabad: Dwivedi, Bhullar share the lead as Veer Ganapathy, Manav Shah give chase (Samarth Dwivedi and Gaganjeet Bhullar share the lead as Veer Ganapathy, Manav Shah give chase in the the IGPL Krishna Invitational 2026 in Hyderabad. Photo credit: IGPL)

Sawai Hamendra Singh Bhati:  Samarth Dwivedi and seasoned campaigner Gaganjeet Bhullar found themselves side-by-side at the top of a tightly packed leaderboard after the second round of the IGPL Krishna Invitational 2026 in Hyderabad.

However, it was the young guns just behind them who gave the tournament an extra edge on the second day.

Dwivedi followed his opening 66 with a five-under 65 to reach nine-under 131, while Bhullar, a four-time IGPL winner, shot a solid 66 after his opening 65. The duo now have a one-shot cushion over Veer Ganapathy and Manav Shah, who both produced the day's joint-best 61s to surge into contention at eight-under 132. Of the top four, only Bhullar has won before, while the other three are looking for maiden IGPL wins.

For Dwivedi, the second round was another display of controlled golf. He moved around the Hyderabad Golf Association course without allowing the occasion or the leaderboard to dictate his play, putting himself in an ideal position going into the weekend. He birdied the second and the third and then dropped a shot on the 11th but picked it back up on the 14th and eagled the 17th.

Bhullar, meanwhile, brings something the rest of the field cannot easily manufacture: experience. The veteran has been around the Indian professional circuit for 20 years; he turned 20 in 2006 -- and knows what it takes to stay patient when a tournament begins to take shape. His back-to-back rounds of 65 and 66 have put him in another position from which he can challenge for a title.

But the biggest movement of the day came from Veer Ganapathy, who has come many times but not sealed the deal, and Shah, who this year stunned everyone by going through qualifications and making the field for the US Open.

Veer Ganapathy, who began the day at one-under, tore up the course with a brilliant nine-under 61. He had an incredible 11 birdies against two bogeys. His effort included a sequence of six birdies in a row from the 10th.

Veer said, “Yesterday I shot one over. It was a slow day, but I held it together. Today, I started with two birdies in the first two holes and let it flow from there. I hit some good shots, made a few putts, and it was a good day overall.”

Reflecting on the turnaround, Ganapathy added, “Yesterday I was a bit defensive, but today I just focused on hitting fairways and greens and shooting a low one. My father told me to forget about yesterday and go out there and enjoy myself, and that’s exactly what I did.”

Shah matched Ganapathy’s score, also moving from one-under to eight-under for the tournament. Their 61s were the standout scores of the day and transformed the shape of the leaderboard. Shah had nine birdies and no bogeys. He birdied four times on the front nine and five times on the back nine.

Manav Shah said, “It’s good to see all the hard work I’ve been putting in starting to pay off. I’m seeing my shot patterns, rhythm, and flow come back, and hopefully that trend continues upwards. Today, I felt more relaxed and grateful to be playing at a course with so much history. I just focused on playing high-quality golf, trusting my shot patterns and not worrying about the leaderboard.”

Both players showed that the Hyderabad Golf Association course is there for the taking when the ball-striking and putting come together. More importantly, they have ensured that the leaders cannot afford to relax over the final 36 holes.

C. Muniyappa occupies fifth place at seven-under 133 after a 68, keeping the experienced Bengaluru professional firmly in the hunt. Behind him is where the leaderboard begins to resemble a traffic jam.

Seven players are tied at five-under 135: M Dharma, Trishul Chinnappa, Saarthak Chhibber, Karandeep Kochhar, Sachin Baisoya, Pukhraj Singh Gill and Ravi Kumar. With so many players within striking distance, even one exceptional round on Friday could dramatically alter the tournament.

Tushar Pannu and Joshua Grenville Wood are next at four-under 136, while Yashas Chandra is alone at three-under 137.

There was also plenty of interest further down the field, with a group of eight players tied at two-under 138. They include Shaurya Binu, Sawai Hamendra Singh Bhati, Udayan Mane, Chiragh Kumar, Sunhit Bishnoi, Sukhman Singh, Jasmine Shekar and Harshjeet Sethie.

Among the more familiar names, Shiv Kapur is at one-under 139 after a second-round 70, while Ridhima Dilawari is alongside him after a 69. Vani Kapoor is also at even-par 140 following a 73.

The tournament has, therefore, reached an intriguing stage.

Dwivedi and Bhullar have the advantage of starting Friday at the top, but Ganapathy and Shah have already shown how quickly the leaderboard can change.

The tournament has, therefore, reached an intriguing stage.

Article Source: IANS