Visakhapatnam: Teenage rookie Milind Soni of Hyderabad hogged the limelight on day one of many INR 1 crore Vizag Open 2024 by scorching the course with an eight-under 63 to take a three-shot lead on the East Level Golf Membership (EPGC) in Visakhapatnam.
Two of the pre-tournament favourites, Khalin Joshi of Bengaluru and Patna’s Aman Raj had been tied second with scores of five-under 66.
Nineteen-year-old Milind Soni, who has up to now posted one top-10 in his rookie season, was off to a fantastic begin with a birdie on the tenth, his opening gap of the event. Milind, in terrific kind with the putter, then sank 4 birdies from a spread of 15 to twenty toes.
Thereafter, Soni made extra positive aspects together with his distinctive strategy pictures that arrange birdies on the fourth and seventh. Milind lastly capped off his flawless spherical with one other lengthy conversion on the eighth.
Soni, who has been India’s No. 1 Junior and No. 2 Novice up to now, stated, “With slender fairways and thick tough right here on the EPGC, there was a premium on hitting greens in regulation and I made 16 rules as we speak. My putter was scorching and I hardly missed any putts.
“I’ve good recollections of the EPGC having gained my second and final novice title right here again in 2022. I additionally had a third-place end at an novice occasion right here in 2023. So, regardless of lacking the reduce at my dwelling course final week in Hyderabad, I got here into this occasion with a whole lot of confidence.
“Because the climate situations had been very powerful with the warmth and humidity making life powerful for the professionals, I tailored effectively by protecting myself hydrated and wiping my palms commonly.”
Khalin Joshi too produced an error-free spherical. His 5 birdies featured a few tap-ins together with one on the eighth the place he narrowly missed a hole-in-one.
Aman Raj made six birdies together with a chip-in in opposition to a lone bogey.
Reigning champion N Thangaraja of Sri Lanka fired a 70 to be tied twenty first.
Among the many Visakhapatnam-based golfers, S Muthu (75) was the highest-placed at tied 93rd.
