Srinagar, Aug 4 (IANS) Khalin Joshi fired an eight-under 63 to take the opening-round lead at the Rs 1 crore J&K Open 2026 being played at the picturesque Royal Springs Golf Course in Srinagar.
The 33-year-old Bengaluru golfer produced a calculated round featuring nine birdies and a lone bogey on the 17th hole to establish a two-shot advantage. Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu and Gurugram-based rookie Harman Sachdeva shared second place after carding matching six-under 65s.
Khalin Joshi, a former Asian Tour winner and multiple winner on the DP World PGTI, began the second half of the season impressively, following up on his Andhra Open triumph in Visakhapatnam in April.
Two chip-ins highlighted his round. He found the bottom of the cup from the left of the green on the par-three third before chipping in again from short of the 15th green. “I putted really well and also chipped in twice, which was special because I hadn’t holed a chip in a long time. I’m very happy with the way I played today,” said Khalin.
Joshi has fond memories of Royal Springs, having previously performed well at the venue in 2014 and 2021. He said the relaxed surroundings helped him keep things light during his opening round.
“We all treat coming to Srinagar like a holiday, with the golf being a bonus. The course is stunning, and I don’t think any picture can do justice to this place. It feels like we’re in heaven. I’m looking forward to enjoying the views and hopefully putting together three more good rounds,” he added.
Ajeetesh Sandhu, playing alongside Joshi, mixed eight birdies with two bogeys. The 37-year-old made an uncertain start but settled into his round after striking his approach to four feet for a birdie on the difficult fourth hole. “The birdie on the fourth changed the momentum and helped me settle down,” said Sandhu. “I came into the event feeling fresh after spending a month at home, working in the gym and practising with my coach.”
Sandhu, a former Asian Tour winner, led Rajasthan Regals to victory at the inaugural edition of the DP World PGTI’s ‘72 The League’. He is dividing his time between the Asian Tour and the DP World PGTI and has recorded consecutive fifth-place finishes at the Andhra Open and the Boulders Classic this season.
Playing his first competitive round in Srinagar after a long gap, Sandhu also enjoyed the return to Royal Springs. “It’s great to be back. The scenery is beautiful, the people are welcoming and walking around this course helps take your mind off the usual stresses of competitive golf,” he said.
The 18-year-old Harman Sachdeva, playing his rookie season, returned the only bogey-free round of the day, a six-under 65. The Gurugram golfer has made seven starts this season, with a tied-fifth finish at the DP World Players Championship in Kolkata being his best result.
Gaurav Pratap Singh of Noida, Divyanshu Bajaj of Kolkata, Angad Cheema of Chandigarh, Rashid Khan of Delhi and the Czech Republic’s Stepan Danek were tied for fourth after shooting identical three-under-68s.
The par-four 11th hole was shortened and played as a par-three due to waterlogging caused by heavy rain over the last two days.
–IANS
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