Shaurya Bhattacharya opened with a six-under 66 to establish a two-shot lead after the first round of the Vishwa Samudra presents Kapil Dev Invitational Tour Championship powered by NALCO at the Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort in Greater Noida.
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Shaurya, a three-time winner on the DP World PGTI, made seven birdies and dropped his only shot of the day on the par-four eighth.
Shaurya began the week ranked 14th in the Race to DP World India Championship. He has come close to adding another title this season, recording joint runner-up finishes at the DP World Players Championship 2026 powered by Urbana in February and the Kolar Open 2026 presented by Zion Hills Golf County in August.
Shubhankar Sharma, a two-time DP World Tour winner, occupied second place at four-under 68. His round featured an eagle on the par-five 12th, three birdies and one bogey.
Shubhankar won the Boulders Classic on the DP World PGTI in April, ending an eight-year wait for a professional title.
Bangladesh’s Jamal Hossain, Dhruv Sheoran and Manoj S returned matching two-under 70s to share third place. Jamal made three birdies against a solitary bogey, while Dhruv mixed six birdies with four bogeys. Manoj registered five birdies and three bogeys.
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Shaurya settled quickly with birdies on his opening two holes before relying on accurate approach play and patient course management to maintain his momentum.
“I got off to a strong start with birdies on the first two holes, which helped me settle into the round,” Shaurya said. “From there, I continued finding greens and stayed patient. The lone bogey was disappointing, but I holed some important putts.”
A long birdie putt on the final hole provided the finishing touch to his 66 and extended his advantage to two strokes.
“The putt on the last felt like a bonus,” he said. “I knew it would be a long day, so the key was to remain calm, keep my thoughts together and focus on one shot at a time.”
The tournament features a distinctive Pro-Am format, with amateurs competing alongside professionals in all four rounds. The extended playing schedule also took part of the field into floodlit conditions.
“The format is quite interesting because we are playing alongside amateurs, and the number of groups makes it a long day,” Shaurya said. “Playing under floodlights also requires some adjustment, but I competed in an event here in similar conditions a few weeks ago, so that experience helped me adapt quickly.
“The conditions were the same for everyone. I concentrated on hitting greens, creating opportunities and maintaining a steady rhythm throughout the round.”
