Gurugram, Sep 10 (IANS) Hissi Besra, a young golfer blessed with a smooth swing and great temperament, created waves with the best card of the day as she produced a round of 5-under 67 to win the US Kids India (North) title in the Girls 11-12 section.

Hissi, who has podium finishes in multiple events including the three-day US Kids India Championships last year, has been in the spotlight with good finishes in numerous events.

Hissi had six birdies, with three on either side of the Classic Golf and Country Club. The only blemish on her card was a bogey on the Par-4 sixth hole. She birdied the first, third, and the eighth on the front nine and added three more on the 10th, 12th, and 15th before closing with three pars.

Hissi, who has been in the top 3 at the CSK South Zone Championship in Chennai, Patna Junior Masters, the Kolkata Juniors and the Shubhankar Sharma All India Junior Invitational, has been on the rise in recent months, and this is one of her first big wins in a career that shows great promise.

The first leg of the 2026 US Kids Golf India (North) used preferred lies, and the young stars showed great skill and played superbly.

Nihal Cheema, a medallist at the US Kids World Championships this year in Pinehurst, was among the three other winners, who returned under-par scores. Cheema shot 70 with four birdies against two bogeys, while winning the Boys 9 competition ahead of another fine young talent, Zowra Veer Sikand (76).

Rayirth Jain (70) of Gurgaon had an action-packed round, which began with two bogeys, and he was 1-over till the 13th. Then he was in full flow with four birdies against one bogey in the last five holes. He had back-to-back birdies on the 14th and the 15th before dropping a shot on the 16th. Rayirth closed birdie-birdie to compile a fine round of 2-under 70.

Drona Singh Dhull, who has won a string of titles on the Indian scene this season, repeated his US Kids win in Boys 11 from last year. This time playing in Boys 12, he shot 1-under 71 despite three bogeys in a row from the 15th to the 17th.

Boys and Girls up to the age of eight played nine-hole rounds, while all others played full 18 holes.

The second leg will be held on Friday (September 11) at the Classic GCC.

--IANS

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