Gaganjeet Bhullar shares first-round lead at Green Fuels Maritime Invitational

Hyderabad: Experience counted for plenty as Gaganjeet Bhullar made an impressive start to the Green Fuels 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 visiting the city for the first time, the 11-time Asian Tour winner demonstrated his ability to adapt to unfamiliar conditions. His opening round also kept him firmly on course for another back-to-back title on the AM Green IGPL Tour, following his victory at the AM Green IGPL Krishna Invitational presented by Punjab Raptors.

Gaganjeet Bhullar, a five-time AM Green IGPL winner and currently leading the individual standings in Season 2, was joined at the top by three players still searching for their maiden AM Green 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 recording his first birdie on the ninth. After four more pars, he shifted gears 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.

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 golfer 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 for seventh place. 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 for 10th alongside Sachin Baisoya and Tusshar Pannu.