Aryan Roopa Anand Shines with 9-Under 62 at IGPL Invitational in Sri Lanka
Impressive Start for Aryan Roopa Anand
Colombo [Sri Lanka], December 23: Aryan Roopa Anand made a remarkable debut at the historic Royal Colombo Golf Club, achieving an impressive 9-under 62 on the first day of the IGPL Invitational Sri Lanka, the concluding event of the 2025 IGPL Tour.
The two-time All India amateur champion began his round with consecutive birdies and finished in the same fashion, totaling nine birdies and one eagle, with a single bogey on each nine. Meanwhile, India's renowned professional golfer, Jeev Milkha Singh, also made his IGPL debut, scoring 7-under, which included five birdies in the last six holes, placing him in second.
Local talent Kaya Daluwatte secured third place with a score of 6-under 65, making her the top female competitor after the first day. Pranavi Urs, the IGPL Mumbai champion, fell from 5-under to 2-under due to a bogey-double bogey-par finish in her last three holes.
Jeev expressed his delight not only with his performance but also with the presence of numerous young talents in the IGPL, highlighting the opportunity for them to learn from seasoned players.
The current leader of the IGPL Order of Merit, Aman Raj, and six-time Asian Tour champion SSP Chawrasia were tied for fourth at 4-under. A group of players, including 11-time Asian Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar and promising talents like Sachin Baisoya and Veer Ganapathy, were tied for sixth.
Jeev commented, “There’s no other pro tour like this. The IGPL brings together legends of Indian golf and promising young stars, many of whom are still amateurs. This environment fosters learning for the younger players.”
In his group, Jeev played alongside Veer Ganapathy, son of former touring pro Rahul Ganapathy, while Jyoti Randhawa’s son Zoravar was grouped with Gaganjeet Bhullar.
Among the legends, Jeev had the best score at 7-under, while SSP Chawrasia finished at 5-under, Gaganjeet Bhullar at 4-under, and Jyoti Randhawa at 1-over 72. Among the young stars, Veer recorded 4-under 67, Zoravar shot even par 71, and Harjai finished at 3-over 74.
Aryan, still in pursuit of his first professional victory, shared, “I felt relaxed today, and my putting was on point, leading to a solid score. I aimed to surpass my previous 6-under round in Ahmedabad, and I achieved that.”
Jeev, thrilled to participate in the IGPL, expressed his long-standing desire to play at this historic course. He enjoyed a Pro-Am round with cricket legend Mahela Jayawardene, remarking on the fun they had together.
“Today marked my first competitive round in Colombo. The heat was intense, but I adapted as I progressed. After being 2-under for the first 12 holes, finishing with five birdies in the last six was fantastic,” Jeev noted, reminiscing about old friends.
Jeev, who has played extensively with Jyoti Randhawa and SSP Chawrasia, enjoyed reconnecting with them and appreciated playing alongside their sons, Zoravar and Harjai, as well as Veer Ganapathy.
Kaya Daluwatte, a promising Sri Lankan amateur, fulfilled local hopes with her 6-under 65, which featured six birdies in her last seven holes. She expressed gratitude for the opportunity to play alongside Olympians Udayan Mane and SSP Chawrasia, stating, “I learned so much just by observing them.” Kaya is set to join Pepperdine University for college golf next year.