Pukhraj Singh Gill produced his most commanding performance of the season as he surged to the top of the leaderboard with a superb bogey-free 9-under 63 at the IGPL Invitational Jamshedpur, hosted at the Beldih Golf Course under the patronage of Shri Arjun Munda.
The 28-year-old, who has been knocking on the door of a breakthrough win this season, finally found his rhythm in emphatic style, opening up a formidable four-shot lead after the opening round.
Pukhraj’s round was not only flawless, but also decisive in momentum. Playing in the morning wave in a shotgun start, he began on the fifth hole and wasted little time in asserting control. Birdies on the fifth, seventh and eighth set the foundation, and what followed was a masterclass in sustained pressure. Birdies came in clusters on the 11th and 12th, on the 15th and 16th, and once again on the second and third before a composed par on his final hole sealed a round that sent a clear message to the field.
“Anytime you can put together a bogey-free round, it feels very satisfying,” Pukhraj said afterward, smiling as he walked off with the lowest score of the event. “The design of this course suits my eye and being able to hit it long off the tee gave me some scoring opportunities. The birdies came in pairs today, and the putting clicked. But it’s just day one, two more rounds to stay focused.”
This was the fourth 9-under round recorded on the IGPL this season, though the previous three all belonged to Aman Raj and came on par-70 layouts in Jaipur and Kolkata. For Pukhraj, it stands as his best round of the year, and crucially at a stage where tournament momentum matters most.
Behind him, seasoned campaigner Harendra Gupta, Sudhir Sharma and Sachin Baisoya shared second place after returning matching 5-under 67s. Harendra, a multiple-time winner on the domestic circuit before shifting to the IGPL, carded six birdies against a single bogey. Baisoya matched that tally with a similarly aggressive approach, while Sharma impressed with a bogey-free round of his own.
One shot further back was Yashas Chandra, who recovered well after an early bogey on his starting hole and collected five birdies for a round of 68 to sit fifth.
Meanwhile, Order of Merit leader and back-to-back event winner Aman Raj shot a steady 3-under 69. Aman birdied his opening hole and added four more through the round, but two bogeys one on each nine prevented him from approaching the pace being set by Pukhraj. He finished the day six shots behind, tied for sixth with a group that included former Asian Tour winners Chinnaswamy Muniyappa and Chiragh Kumar, as well as Ashbeer Saini, Aalaap IL and Trishul Chinappa.
Aman’s pedigree in closing tournaments, however, ensures the chase behind Pukhraj remains very much alive.
Pukhraj’s form this season has been building steadily. He finished runner-up to Gaganjeet Bhullar at Jaypee Greens earlier in the year and has logged top-10 finishes in Chandigarh, Pune and Kolkata. His strengths power off the tee and a controlled iron game were on full display on Thursday, but the difference today was his putting, which has at times held him back in previous final-day situations.
“The key now is not to think ahead,” he acknowledged. “I’ve been close before, but you can only play one shot at a time. If I stick to that, the result will take care of itself.”
Among the rising Indian talents, both Kartik Singh and Veer Ganapathy who have each come close to breakthrough wins this season—had modest starts. Kartik carded a 2-under 70 to sit tied-12th, while Veer posted a 1-under 71 to finish tied-17th alongside Raghav Chugh.
The leaderboard remains tightly stacked behind Pukhraj, with multiple proven contenders in position to make a move on moving day. But for now, the story belongs to the man who has threatened to win before and has started this week like someone determined to finish the job.
The next two rounds promise an engaging battle: a rising contender with momentum, seasoned challengers building pressure behind him, and the IGPL Order of Merit leader lurking poised for yet another late-week charge.
In Jamshedpur, the tournament has found its narrative early. Now it’s up to the field to decide whether Pukhraj’s blistering 63 is a launch pad or the start of a runaway.
