Visakhapatnam (AP), Nov 3 (IANS) Experience counted for plenty as Gaganjeet Bhullar made an impressive start to the Maritime Invitational 2026, carding a three-under 69 to share the first-round lead with Deepak Yadav, Ravi Kumar and Kanav Chauhan at the East Point Golf Club in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday.
Playing the course for the first time and on his first visit to the city, the 11-time Asian Tour winner showed his ability to adapt to unfamiliar conditions. His opening round also kept him firmly on course for another back-to-back title on the IGPL Tour, following his victory at the IGPL Krishna Invitational.
Gaganjeet Bhullar, a five-time IGPL winner and currently leading the individual standings in Season 2, was joined at the top by three players who are still searching for their maiden IGPL victories. While Deepak Yadav drew on his previous experience of playing at East Point, Ravi Kumar and Kanav Chauhan produced equally impressive rounds to put themselves in contention.
The opening day presented its own challenges after heavy rain over the preceding days left the course soft and playing conditions difficult. With practice largely unavailable on Monday because of the wet weather, players had little opportunity to familiarise themselves with the layout. Preferred lies were introduced, allowing players to lift and clean their balls on the fairways, while the possibility of further rain prompted organisers to opt for a shotgun start.
Bhullar began his round on the fourth hole and kept things steady with five successive pars before finding his first birdie on the ninth. After four more pars, he found another gear with three consecutive birdies from the 15th. His only blemish came on the 18th, his 15th hole of the day, where he dropped a shot. Three closing pars completed his round of 69.
"I played solid and am happy with my game. I missed just two greens and three fairways and had a bogey on one of them. Never played on this course before, and in fact it is my first visit to the city, and I am loving it. We were also unable to get a practice round, but that's golf, and we need to adapt to all this," Bhullar said.
The Indian star has been concentrating on the IGPL this season but indicated that he expects to have more opportunities on the Asian Tour in 2027. He also spoke about balancing his professional commitments with personal projects and family life.
"I have been playing well and been focusing on AM Green IGPL, but in 2027, there will be more like on the Asian Tour, and I am also involved in some personal projects and family, too, as my kid is growing fast," he said.
Bhullar also underlined how much the team format has meant to him. Representing Vimtra Chennai Lions, he said contributing to his team remained a major motivation.
"More than anything, I'm motivated to play well for my team, Vimtra Chennai Lions GC. Even today, as soon as I finished my round, I spoke to my teammates. Over the last year I've really enjoyed this format, and I want to contribute to every round for my team," he added.
Among his three co-leaders, Deepak Yadav made the most of his familiarity with the East Point course. The 24-year-old Delhi Golf Club player, who has twice finished runner-up at the venue in Andhra Pradesh amateur events on the IGU circuit, returned a bogey-free 69.
Trained by Arjuna Awardee Nonita Lall Qureshi, Yadav is playing only his third AM Green IGPL event after making his debut at Qutub Golf Club. Starting from the 14th, he picked up birdies on the 17th, seventh, and 13th to complete a clean round.
"Having played here before helped me a lot. I knew what to expect, but still adapting to the conditions was important. I am very happy to get back without any bogeys for my three-under 69," Deepak Yadav said.
He also welcomed the opportunity to compete alongside established professionals such as Bhullar, saying the experience would help his development and mindset. His approach for the remaining rounds was straightforward: find fairways and greens and avoid unnecessary risks.
Ravi Kumar, who joined the professional ranks on the AM Green IGPL earlier this season, also signed for a 69. Starting from the sixth, he picked up birdies on the seventh, 18th, first and fourth, with his only dropped shot coming on the par-three 16th.
Kanav Chauhan, the 2025 All India Junior champion who turned professional earlier this year, completed the leading group with a three-under 69. He turned in even par, recovered from a bogey on the 10th with a birdie on the 11th and then produced three successive birdies from the 15th to reach three-under before closing with a par.
Experienced Yashas Chandra occupied fifth place with a two-under 70, while Nayanika Sanga, 22, was the leading woman in the field after opening with a one-under 71 to lie sixth. Olympian Udayan Mane had an eventful round featuring six birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey, leaving him tied seventh. He was joined at that position by Arjun Prasad and Harshjeet Sethie, who both carded even-par 72s.
Udayan Mane felt the players were fortunate to complete their rounds after the persistent rain. "I think we're just lucky to have gotten in a round today after so much rain over the last two days and before. I woke up thinking, we're not going to play today, but to get in a full 18 holes without any rain was great. The course was very slushy, but all of us must adapt and find a way to put the ball in the hole," he said.
Pukhraj Singh Gill, who is set to play on the Asian Tour in 2027, made a late recovery to finish with a one-over 73. He was tied 10th alongside Sachin Baisoya and Tusshar Pannu.
--IANS
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