JOIN USSamarth Dwivedi kick-started the Tata Steel Southern India Amateur Golf Championship on a fine note, blasting into sole lead here on Tuesday.
Uttar Pradesh’ Samarth, who is based in Thailand currently, shot a brilliant four-under 68 while in-form Viraj Madappa was on tied second, a shot further behind, at the Karnataka Golf Association.
Reigning All-India amateur champion Pratap Atwal was tied third at 70 with the quartet of Aalaap IL, Jasjeet Singh, Zubin Nijhawan and Gagan Verma bunched together at level-par.
Samarth began with a bang, sinking birdies on the opening two holes. He then followed it up with another sets of back-to-back birdies on the fifth and sixth and on the 10th and 11th holes to go six-under for the day.
He fired his seventh birdie on the 15th before undoing all his brilliance with a disastrous finish, bogeying the 17th and double-bogeying the 18th.
Leading scores (after 18 holes): 68: Samarth Dwivedi; 69: Viraj Madappa; 70: Pratap Atwal; 72: Aalaap IL, Jasjeet Singh, Zubin Nijhawan, GaganVerma.