Veer Ahlawat sets course record 65 to lead inaugural CIDCO Open

Veer Ahlawat opened with a six-under 65 to take a two-shot lead after round one of the INR 1 crore CIDCO Open 2025 presented by Larsen & Toubro, the first-ever professional event at Kharghar Valley Golf Course (KVGC) in Navi Mumbai. The Gurugram pro’s bogey-free effort also set the course record in the first competitive round at the par-71 layout.

Italy’s Michele Ortolani and American Koichiro Sato shot matching 67s to share second place. Uganda’s Joshua Seale, Sri Lanka’s N Thangaraja and the Indian trio of Manoj S, Dhruv Sheoran and former PGTI No. 1 Manu Gandas were tied fourth after rounds of 68.

The day also featured two aces: Dipankar Kaushal holed out on the par-3 third en route to a 69 that put him in tied 10th, while Mani Ram made the first hole-in-one in KVGC history on the 17th but signed for a 75 to sit tied 69th.

Ahlawat, starting on the 10th, built early momentum with a three-foot birdie at the 12th and a 20-foot eagle putt at the par-5 14th. The 29-year-old then took full advantage of his length on a course that rewards long hitters, adding birdie tap-ins on the first and second and rolling in a 15-footer on the fourth to close out his 65.

“I’ve been feeling good about my game since returning to play on the PGTI in October,” Ahlawat said after the round. “This course suits my game as three of the par-5s are reachable in two and a couple of par-4s are drivable for me. Coming from colder weather in Delhi, adapting to the heat here is important, but I really enjoyed my first competitive round at KVGC and feel it’s a great layout.”

Photo – PGTI