Teen sensation Kartik Singh produced a flawless round of golf to grab the spotlight at the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) Invitational Pune, firing a stunning eight-under 63 at the Poona Golf Course on Thursday. The bogey-free effort took him to 11-under after two rounds and placed him firmly in pole position heading into the final day.
The 15-year-old, who has been knocking on the door of victory in recent weeks, displayed composure well beyond his years as he navigated the course with precision. His round included birdies on the third, fourth, 11th, 12th, 14th, and 17th holes, along with a superb eagle on the par-5 seventh. Kartik’s consistency off the tee was the key, as he found the fairways unerringly and converted scoring opportunities with ease.
“If you are in the fairways, there is always a birdie chance,” Kartik said, adding that careful course management and avoiding unnecessary risks helped him stay in control. “Often, there is no need to get the driver out. I focused on finding the fairways, and it was rewarding.”
Close on his heels, Kapil Kumar surged late in the round with four birdies on the back nine to finish six-under for the day and climb to nine-under overall. Overnight co-leader Sunhit Bishnoi carded a solid 68 to remain in contention at seven-under in third place. Meanwhile, veteran Ranjit Singh (68), Sachin Baisoya (69), Saarthak Chibber (69), and Pukhraj Singh Gill (70) shared fourth place at six-under.
The day also saw experienced icon player Gaurav Ghei shower praise on the teenager. “To shoot eight-under any day is brilliant, but for a 15-year-old to do that is just amazing. He has been so consistent, and he has just turned professional. He has a great future,” said Ghei.
Among the women, Sneha Singh impressed with a three-under 68 that pushed her into tied-10th, making her the leading lady on the leaderboard. She recovered well from back-to-back bogeys with timely birdies to stay inside the top 10 alongside youngsters IL Aalaap, Raghav Chugh, Harshjeet Singh Sethie, and Shaurya Binu.
Other notable names included Aman Raj, who bounced back strongly with a 65 to join Yashas Chandra at four-under, while Ananya Garg (70), Hitaashee Bakshi (74), and Ridhima Dilawari (75) rounded out the women’s leaderboard positions inside the top 25.
With the course rewarding accuracy and a tight field of contenders, the final day promises a fierce battle. For Kartik Singh, however, the focus remains simple: keep the ball in play, stay patient, and maintain composure as he chases another breakthrough victory.
