Gaganjeet Bhullar, Sachin Baisoya and Arjun Prasad lead Phoenix Invitational 2026

Hyderabad: The rivalry between experienced champion Gaganjeet Bhullar and evolving star Sachin Baisoya is developing into one of the most compelling storylines on the AM Green IGPL Tour, but another challenger, Arjun Prasad, is ready to join the battle at the Phoenix Invitational 2026 Hyderabad presented by Hyderabad Firebirds GC.

Bhullar, Baisoya and fast-emerging Arjun Prasad shared the opening-round lead with impressive six-under-par 66s at Vooty Golf County in Telangana, taking advantage of favourable playing conditions and the course’s excellent greens.

At Vooty, the battle is no longer just about Bhullar and Baisoya. Prasad has made sure of that.

The opening round also underlined the depth of the field. Four players were tied for fourth at five-under 67, while another six were bunched at four-under 68. With 13 players within two shots of the leaders and several others not far behind, the tournament is heading for a tight battle.

For Bhullar, the opening 66 was another demonstration of how experience can compensate for unfamiliar surroundings.

For the second consecutive week, the 38-year-old was playing on a course he had never visited before and had not even managed a practice round.

“I had never played this course, but then I had also never played at East Point GC last week. Maybe experience helps,” Bhullar said with a laugh.

Sachin Baisoya raced to five-under through his first five holes, including an eagle after chipping in on the fifth. A bogey on the following hole briefly interrupted his momentum, but he quickly recovered with another birdie.

He also produced an important birdie on the 10th, holing a putt from approximately 15 to 20 feet to maintain his charge towards the top of the leaderboard.

Overall, Baisoya had an eagle and six birdies against two bogeys.

“Today went really well. I was five-under through the first five holes. I birdied a par-4, birdied again, then chipped in for an eagle on the fifth. Then came a bogey on the next hole, but a good birdie after that helped me build a strong round,” Baisoya said.