Manu Gandas opens with 66 to lead inaugural Trident Open

Manu Gandas fired a superb 6-under 66 to grab the clubhouse lead on day one of the inaugural Trident Open, the ₹1 crore PGTI event being played at Chandigarh Golf Club.

The 29-year-old, a former PGTI Order of Merit champion, carded two birdies on the front nine and four more on the back as he took early control of the leaderboard. Seasoned pro Shamim Khan, recent winner Shaurya Bhattacharya, and Bangladesh’s Md Somrat Sikdar were tied for second at 4-under 68.

The opening round could not be completed on Tuesday, with play suspended due to fading light at 5:30 pm. Twelve of the 126 players in the field will return at 6:40 am on Wednesday to finish their rounds.

Among the local favourites, Chandigarh’s Akshay Sharma posted a 69 to sit tied fifth in the clubhouse. PGTI Ranking leader Yuvraj Sandhu and fellow home-course star Angad Cheema opened with 72s.

Gurugram-based Gandas, who topped the PGTI Order of Merit in 2022 and last won in early 2024, has been trending in the right direction. He sits 14th on this season’s merit list and has recorded six top-10 finishes, including two runner-up results, in his last seven PGTI starts.

On day one, he found most fairways and converted several putts in the 7–10 foot range, highlighted by a 27-foot birdie on the eighth.

“I’m happy with the way the day turned out,” Manu said. “I gave myself a lot of chances. Even though I didn’t hole too many putts, it was a solid round. The game is shaping up well over the past few weeks. As always, placing it well off the tee will be the key to scoring on this course.”

Photo – PGTI