Om Prakash Chouhan Shines on Rain-Interrupted Day at India Championship

Chouhan Leads Indian Contingent Amid Weather Challenges

New Delhi [India], October 15: On a rain-affected opening day of the $4 million India Championship, Om Prakash Chouhan showcased his skills with an impressive four-under 68, featuring six birdies and two bogeys, placing him as the top Indian competitor tied for fifth in the clubhouse.

Saptak Talwar, who currently leads the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) Order of Merit, also had a commendable start, finishing with a one-under 71 that included three birdies and two bogeys.

Denmark's Niklas Norgaard took the lead in the clubhouse with a remarkable six-under 66. Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood from England and world number two Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland both ended the day at two-under.

The day began with overcast skies, which soon turned into light rain and lightning warnings, causing play to halt at 11 am local time. A heavy downpour followed, leading to a lengthy suspension of nearly five hours before play resumed at 4 pm.

Due to the weather, only the morning session, which included half of the 72-player field, was able to complete their rounds on Thursday.

Chouhan, a former PGTI Order of Merit champion and winner on the HotelPlanner Tour, executed excellent approach shots throughout the day, setting up most of his birdies with precision on the greens. The 40-year-old, who has claimed 12 professional titles, made an impressive recovery from the rough to secure a birdie on the eighth hole.

The highlight of his round was a remarkable chip-in from 15 yards for a birdie on the sixth hole.

Reflecting on his performance, Chouhan stated, "I am very satisfied with my effort considering the conditions and the long stoppage we had to endure. Before the rain, the greens were firm, and the ball was rolling out, so I had to think carefully about whether to attack the flags. After the rain, I could be more aggressive."

He added, "I found a lot of fairways today, which set up my second shots. My local knowledge and experience at the Delhi Golf Club obviously helped. I recently changed my putter, and that showed in my good putting today. I have my driver in the bag but don’t really plan to use it."

Saptak Talwar reflected on his round, saying, "I felt like I was rolling the putts well. Just a couple of misreads here and there that I thought were good chances to make a couple more birdies. Overall, I’m pleased with the start."

He expressed excitement about building on his performance, stating, "If I can tidy up a few things around the greens, I feel I can look forward to a good week."

Among other Indian players, Manu Gandas was one-under after one hole, Anirban Lahiri was even-par through five holes, Khalin Joshi was even-par through three holes, while Amardeep Malik and Kartik Singh were both even-par through one hole.

Manoj S and Veer Ahlawat finished their rounds with scores of 73 and 74, respectively, while Shubhankar Sharma was two-over after five holes.