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Amateur Aryan Roopa Anand of Bengaluru shot a six-under 64 to take the first-round lead at the Final Qualifying Stage of the PGTI Qualifying School 2023 being played here at the Tollygunge Club.
Sri Lanka's K Prabagaran and Sudhir Sharma of Greater Noida were placed tied second with scores of five-under 65 at the par-70 course. Twenty-one-year-old Aryan Roopa Anand, currently India's top-ranked amateur golfer and a two-time All India Amateur champion, scored seven birdies and a bogey during his opening round. Aryan, a winner of five amateur and one junior title, enjoyed a good day with the driver and also sank four long birdie putts from a range of 10 to 18 feet in the middle of his round. Aryan, making his first appearance at the PGTI Q School, said, "This course requires accurate ball-striking and I did that well today. The long conversions midway through my round gave me momentum. The last time I played at Tollygunge was as a junior when I finished third. So I'm carrying the added confidence of having done well at this venue in the past." Second-placed K Prabagaran and Sudhir Sharma made seven birdies and two bogeys each during their rounds of 65. The top 80 players (+ ties) will make the cut after round two of the Final Qualifying Stage. At the end of round four, the top 34 players will earn their full cards for the 2023 PGTI season. (ANI)
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