Veer Ganapathy Shines at AM Green IGPL Invitational 2026 in Mauritius

Exciting Start for Young Golfer Veer Ganapathy

Port Louis [Mauritius], April 9: Rising star Veer Ganapathy, who celebrated his 18th birthday just a couple of weeks ago on March 25, showcased his talent by scoring two birdies in the final three holes, finishing with an impressive 5-under 67. This performance placed him at the top of the leaderboard during the opening round of the AM Green IGPL Invitational 2026, hosted by Leander Paes.

As the day drew to a close, Sachin Baisoya, known for his consistent performance throughout the 2025 season with several Top-3 finishes but no victories, made a strong statement. He concluded his round with three consecutive birdies, achieving a bogey-free score of 67, which tied him with Ganapathy for the lead. His efforts also propelled his team, Phoenix Hyderabad, to the forefront of the team competition, as noted in a press release from the IGPL.

In a tie for third place were Amandeep Drall, Milind Soni, and Ridhima Dilawari, all finishing with scores of 69. Amandeep, a former runner-up at the Hero Women’s Indian Open on the Ladies European Tour, along with Ridhima, aims to replicate Pranavi Urs's achievement, who became the first woman to win an AM Green IGPL event last year in Mumbai.

Olympian Udayan Mane and seasoned player Shiv Kapur shared the sixth position with rounds of 2-under 70. Meanwhile, Aryan Roopa Anand, Varun Chopra, rookie Sukhman Singh, and Yashas Chandra were tied for eighth place, each carding 71.

Among other notable players, Pukhraj Singh Gill, who topped the 2025 AM Green IGPL Order of Merit, finished tied for 12th with a score of 72. Gaganjeet Bhullar, the winner of the AM Green IGPL Invitational 2026 in Chandigarh, along with Karandeep Kochhar, SSP Chawrasia, and Aman Raj, all ended with scores of 1-over 71, placing them tied for 15th.

In the team standings, Phoenix Hyderabad, led by co-leader Sachin Baisoya (5-under 67) and Raghav Chugh (even par 72), topped the leaderboard at 5-under. RVR Delhi, featuring Shiv Kapur (2-under 70) and Aryan Roopa Anand (1-under 71), followed closely in second place at 3-under. Green Fuels Vizag, with Milind Soni (3-under 69) and M Dharma (1-over 73), secured third place at 2-under. The competition counts the two best scores from each four-member team.

Veer, recognized as the 'Young Turk' for being the best emerging player in the inaugural season last year, began his round at the par-72 Anahita Golf Course with seven birdies, despite an early double bogey. Representing the GolfKonnekt Team from Bangalore, he expressed his satisfaction with the challenging course.

Late in the day, Baisoya finished strong, scoring three consecutive birdies on holes 16, 17, and 18.

The players unanimously praised the beautiful course, which has previously hosted European Tour events, while acknowledging the added difficulty posed by the winds.

Veer, a left-handed golfer coached by his father Rahul Ganapathy, commented, “The course is fantastic but challenging with winds at 15-20 km per hour. After the early pressure of a double bogey, I managed to play well, and my putting was crucial today.”

Coached by his father, a former Indian Tour professional, Veer finished as a runner-up twice during the 2025 AM Green IGPL season. He is now in a strong position to secure his first victory, stating, “I focused on physical fitness and yoga during the off-season, along with extensive practice at the range, and it seems to be paying off.”

Veer recovered from his double bogey with three consecutive birdies starting from the fourth hole and added another on the ninth, turning in 2-under. On the back nine, he birdied the 14th and achieved back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th. His only mistake was a double bogey on the challenging Par-4 sixth hole.

Milind, 20, who was selected by the Green Fuels team Vizag during the auction, reflected on his first season in the AM Green IGPL last year as a valuable learning experience. He began training with Rahul Bajaj, a former Asian Games team silver medallist, late last year.

He remarked, “Rahul sir has been a tremendous help. I’m making fewer mistakes, and he has improved my swing. We’re also focusing on the mental aspect, which is starting to show, along with course management.”

Regarding his first round, Milind added, “It was absolutely amazing, and I thoroughly enjoyed the Anahita course. I’m very thankful for the chance to compete in the AM Green IGPL tour, which features tournaments at fantastic venues.”

Amandeep had a bogey on the fifth hole but made no further mistakes, scoring a birdie on the seventh and finishing even par. On the back nine, she achieved an eagle on the Par-5 13th and closed with a birdie on the Par-5 18th for a total of 3-under.

Milind Soni started with a bogey but quickly recovered with birdies on the sixth and seventh holes. However, bogeys on the eighth and ninth holes set him back, and he turned in 1-over. He steadied himself on the back nine, scoring an eagle on the Par-5 13th and a birdie on the 14th.

In the evening, Dilawari (69) finished strong with birdies on the last two holes, completing her round with four birdies and one bogey to join the group in third place.

This tournament marks the second event in the AM Green IGPL season 2, which will feature a total of 15 events, with ten taking place in India and five internationally.