Kolkata golfer Sunit Chowrasia, aged 31, delivered a flawless performance on Wednesday, firing a bogey-free eight-under 62 to take a two-shot lead after the second round of the inaugural PGTI NexGen Vijay Kumar Memorial at the Lucknow Golf Club.
Chowrasia, who had opened with a 70, climbed from tied 13th to the top of the leaderboard with a total score of eight-under 132. The nephew of Indian golf legend SSP Chawrasia, Chowrasia currently sits sixth on the DP World PGTI NexGen Order of Merit. His round featured eight birdies and no bogeys, marking the lowest score of the tournament so far.
Overnight leader Abhishek Kumar of Panchkula slipped to second place at six-under 134 after a second consecutive bogey-free round of one-under 69. The 24-year-old, who won the season-opening NexGen event in Faridabad and ranks fourth on the Order of Merit, acknowledged that patience was key as he often had to recover from difficult positions.
Chowrasia, winner of the previous NexGen event, the Alpha Sports Academy Golf Championship hosted by Patna Golf Club, started his round on the par-4 ninth in the shotgun format. He collected three birdies on his opening nine before catching fire on the second nine, adding five more birdies, including four straight from the third through the sixth hole.
Reflecting on his round, Chowrasia said, 'I got off to a steady start and was three-under through my first nine holes. The momentum really picked up on the second nine where I made four consecutive birdies from the third to the sixth. I kept the ball in play, gave myself plenty of opportunities and was able to convert the chances I created.' He added, 'I hit my irons particularly well, especially on the par-3s, where I was able to get the ball close to the flag. Most of my birdies came from good approach shots that left me relatively short putts.'
Abhishek Kumar commented, 'The course tested my patience today. There were a few holes where I found myself in tricky spots, including one on the sixth where I was blocked by a tree, but I managed to recover well and stay patient throughout the round.' Looking ahead to the final round, he said, 'This event is special because it carries Vijay Kumar's name. He always encouraged and guided young players, so it would be very meaningful to do well here.'
Forty-one-year-old Pawan Kumar of Delhi followed his opening 67 with a two-under 68 to move into sole third place at five-under 135. Noida's Bipin Mukhiya (70-67), the current NexGen Order of Merit leader, Lucknow's Rajesh Kumar Gautam (68-69), who ranks third on the NexGen standings, and 15-year-old Arjunveer Shishir (69-68) of Panchkula shared fourth place at three-under 137.
Rishi Kumar of Lucknow was the other local player in the top-10, tied for seventh at two-under 138. The 36-hole cut fell at six-over 146, with 39 of the 71 players advancing to the final round. The winner of the 2026 DP World PGTI NexGen Order of Merit will earn an exemption on the main tour for the 2027 season.
