Shaurya Bhattacharya opened the Vishwa Samudra presents Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship with a six-under 66, securing a two-shot lead after the first round at the Jaypee Greens Golf and Spa Resort in Greater Noida.
The 23-year-old, a three-time winner on the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), recorded seven birdies and one bogey on the par-four eighth hole, according to a press release from Vishwa Samudra.
Bhattacharya began the week ranked 14th in the Race to DP World India Championship. He has posted strong performances this season, finishing joint runner-up at both the DP World Players Championship 2026 powered by Urbana in February and the Kolar Open 2026 presented by Zion Hills Golf County in August.
Shubhankar Sharma from Chandigarh, a two-time DP World Tour winner, is in second place with a four-under 68. His round included an eagle on the par-five 12th, three birdies, and one bogey. Sharma won the Boulders Classic on the DP World PGTI in April, ending an eight-year professional title drought.
Sharing third place at two-under 70 are Bangladesh’s Jamal Hossain, Gurugram’s Dhruv Sheoran, and Bengaluru’s Manoj S. Jamal made three birdies and one bogey, Sheoran recorded six birdies and four bogeys, while Manoj had five birdies and three bogeys.
Bhattacharya started strongly with birdies on the first two holes and maintained momentum through precise approach shots and patient course management. He commented, “I got off to a strong start with birdies on the first two holes, which helped me settle into the round. From there, I continued finding greens and stayed patient. The lone bogey was disappointing, but I holed some important putts.”
A long birdie putt on the final hole extended his lead to two strokes. He said, “The putt on the last felt like a bonus. I knew it would be a long day, so the key was to remain calm, keep my thoughts together and focus on one shot at a time.”
The tournament features a distinctive Pro-Am format, allowing amateurs to compete alongside professionals over four rounds. This extended schedule required some players to compete under floodlit conditions.
Bhattacharya remarked on the format, “The format is quite interesting because we are playing alongside amateurs, and the number of groups makes it a long day. Playing under floodlights also requires some adjustment, but I competed in an event here in similar conditions a few weeks ago, so that experience helped me adapt quickly. The conditions were the same for everyone. I concentrated on hitting greens, creating opportunities and maintaining a steady rhythm throughout the round.”
Current Race to DP World India Championship leader Saptak Talwar posted a three-over 75, sharing 36th place after the first round.
The Tour Championship is supported by Presenting Partner Vishwa Samudra, a rapidly growing global business conglomerate, and Powered by Partner NALCO, one of India’s leading aluminium companies. Event partners include APL Apollo Steel Pipes, Himalayan, and Powerade, with Zee5 and Unite8 Sports as broadcast partners. Additional support comes from DP World PGTI’s umbrella partner DP World, as well as tour partners HCL Group, Axis Bank, Amul, Amrutanjan Enerlyte, Air India Maharaja Club, Kalyani, Golf Plus Monthly, and Golf Design India.
The Pro-Am event on Wednesday was won by the team of professional Shaurya Bhattacharya and amateur Dr. Hamidi, who scored 44 stableford points and secured victory on countback.