Aryan Roopa Anand worked through a challenging opening on the second day of the IGPL Invitational Sri Lanka, part of the final event of the inaugural season of the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) Tour, where he dropped two bogeys in the first four holes.
Overnight leader Aryan maintained his lead at 11-under, with local amateur Kaya Daluwatte and India’s accomplished SSP Chawrasia tied for second at 10-under. Veteran golfer Jeev Milkha Singh, a four-time winner on the European and Japan Tours, sat in fourth place.
Gaganjeet Bhullar, who has secured 11 Asian Tour titles—the most by any Indian—finished tied for fifth with former Asian Tour champion Chiragh Kumar, IGPL Order of Merit contender Aman Raj, and rookie pro Veer Ganapathy. All of them were at 8-under after 36 holes, with Bhullar carding a score of 67-67.
Chiragh had the day’s best round, shooting 8-under 63, which included four consecutive birdies from the fifth to the eighth and four more in the last seven holes. Overall, he recorded nine birdies and one bogey. “That was the best I have played in a long time, since trying to come back from a series of serious injuries,” Chiragh remarked.
Karandeep Kochhar, who previously won the IGPL UAE, was in ninth place with a score of 68, just four shots behind the leader. Kochhar, coming off a recent win in Dubai and having won an ADT event in Egypt, could emerge as a dark horse, especially as he has secured his Asian Tour card.
As the IGPL season finale approached its last day, the leaderboard showcased a blend of youth and experience, with only three shots separating the top eight players at the iconic Royal Colombo Golf Club, one of the oldest courses in the world. Kochhar held the ninth position.
Aryan, with a score of 69, overcame his early bogeys by birdieing the 18th, finishing the round at 2-under. He added four birdies while avoiding further bogeys, maintaining his solo lead for the second consecutive day. His birdies came on the seventh, 12th, 15th, and 18th holes. Kaya Daluwatte, who shot 67, continued to excel during a remarkable season on the international amateur circuit, which included victories in Thailand and notable placements in the Faldo Series in the UAE.
Kaya, a local favorite among spectators, shared the second position with SSP Chawrasia, who carded 66. Despite an unfortunate triple bogey on the 17th after his tee shot hit a tree, Kaya and Chawrasia were trailing Aryan by just one shot.
Chawrasia expressed his desire to secure his first IGPL victory, stating, “It’s been a long time since I won, and it would be nice to have one of those lovely IGPL Trophies sitting alongside my European, Asian, and other pro wins in India.”
Legendary golfer Jeev Milkha Singh, India’s most accomplished golfer, was in fourth place as he aimed to add the IGPL Sri Lanka title to his list of global victories. Notably, despite missing out on birdie putts at the last hole, Jeev praised Kaya’s performance, saying, “Even though I was focused on my game and trying to hole putts, which I just could not, I was amazed by Kaya’s play. She was so solid and mature. Scoring 6-under and 4-under in such a strong event is fantastic for a 17-year-old.”
Kaya has a rich history in Sri Lankan amateur golf, having claimed numerous titles, with her achievements displayed at the Royal Colombo Golf Club. She is also credited for being the first Sri Lankan to win a medal at the recent Asian Youth Games.
The unique format of the tournament received approval from South Asian legends Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa, as the younger players gained insights by observing these golfing icons.
Randhawa echoed Jeev’s sentiments, saying, “The young stars, including my own son, Zoravar, Jeev’s son Harjai and Rahul Ganapathy’s son, Veer, and many others like Kaya, had a great day at the course, which became a golf classroom of sorts.”
In the overall standings, Veer Ganapathy secured a top-five position, while Jyoti Randhawa’s son, Zoravar, outperformed his father for the second consecutive day. Zoravar, with scores of 71-67, is at 4-under and T-12, while his father trails with 71-70, placing him at T-31st.
Jeev’s son, amateur Harjai, improved upon his father’s 2-under score in the second round, posting a score of 74-67, bringing him to 1-under and Tied-23rd.