Aryan Roopa Anand Maintains Lead at IGPL Invitational Sri Lanka
Day Two Highlights of IGPL Invitational
Colombo [Sri Lanka], December 24: Aryan Roopa Anand faced challenges early on during the second day of the IGPL Invitational Sri Lanka, the concluding event of the inaugural IGPL Tour season, as he dropped two bogeys within the first four holes.
Despite the rocky start, Aryan held onto the lead at 11-under, with local amateur Kaya Daluwatte and India's experienced SSP Chawrasia closely trailing at 10-under. Jeev Milkha Singh, a four-time champion on both the European and Japan Tours, occupied the fourth position.
Gaganjeet Bhullar (67-67), who boasts 11 Asian Tour titles, the highest for any Indian, was tied for fifth alongside former Asian Tour winner Chiragh Kumar (71-63), IGPL Order of Merit contender Aman Raj (66-68), and rookie pro Veer Ganapathy (67-67), all at 8-under after 36 holes.
Chiragh delivered the best score of the day with an impressive 8-under 63, featuring four consecutive birdies from the fifth to the eighth holes, followed by four more in the last seven. He expressed satisfaction, stating, “That was the best I have played in a long time, since trying to come back from a series of serious injuries.”
Karandeep Kochhar, the IGPL UAE winner, was positioned ninth but only four shots behind the leader, showcasing potential as a dark horse after his recent victory in Dubai and a prior win in an ADT event in Egypt.
As the final IGPL event neared its conclusion, the leaderboard reflected a blend of youth and experience, with just three shots separating the top eight players at the historic Royal Colombo Golf Club, one of the oldest golf courses globally.
Aryan (69) overcame his early setbacks to finish with a 2-under score, securing his lead for the second consecutive day. He managed to add four birdies while avoiding further bogeys, with birdies on the seventh, 12th, 15th, and 18th holes.
Kaya Daluwatte (67), a local amateur, continued to impress with a remarkable season on the international amateur circuit, which included victories in Thailand and notable placements in the Faldo Series and Robert Rock Junior Golf tournament in the UAE.
Despite an unfortunate triple bogey on the 17th hole, Kaya shared the second position with SSP Chawrasia (66), who was eager to secure his first IGPL series win. Chawrasia remarked, “It’s been a long time since I won, and it would be wonderful to have one of those lovely IGPL trophies alongside my other professional wins.”
Jeev Milkha Singh, India’s most accomplished golfer, was in fourth place, aiming to add the IGPL Sri Lanka title to his extensive list of global victories. He praised Kaya’s performance, noting her maturity and skill at just 17 years old.
Kaya has achieved remarkable success in Sri Lankan amateur golf, with her accolades displayed at the Royal Colombo Golf Club, and she recently made history as the first Sri Lankan to win a medal at the Asian Youth Games.
In a format praised by South Asian legends Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa, the young players absorbed valuable lessons from the region's superstars.
Randhawa echoed Jeev's sentiments, highlighting the promising young talents, including his son Zoravar, Jeev's son Harjai, and others like Kaya Daluwatte, who all had an enriching experience on the course.
While Veer Ganapathy secured a spot in the top five, Zoravar outperformed his father for the second consecutive day, currently at 4-under and tied for 12th, while Jyoti is three shots behind in T-31st place.
Jeev's son, amateur Harjai (67), also outperformed his father, now at 1-under and tied for 23rd.
The final day will feature a shotgun start for all players.