Harendra , Pravin and Rajesh Rawat in the joint lead at Phillaur

Nksagar-Sagar Media Inc;Phillaur, Punjab, June 16, 2011:
Harendra Gupta, Pravin Pathare and Rajesh Kumar Rawat in the joint lead at Phillaur

Harendra Gupta of Chandigarh, Pravin Pathare of Pune and Lucknow’s Rajesh Kumar Rawat shot scores of four under 68 to hold the joint lead after round one of the PGTI Feeder Tour event being played at the Ranjitgarh Golf Club in Phillaur. Gurgaon-based professionals Deepinder Singh Kullar and Raghav Malik as well as Lucknow’s Manoj Kumar and Amit Kumar of Phillaur are in tied fourth as they returned identical scores of three under 69.
The joint leaders Gupta, Pathare and Rawat set a new course record with their opening round effort on Thursday. The previous course record of three under 69 was set by Phillaur’s Viren Mohan Singh Ghumman last year and was equaled by the four professionals who are currently in tied fourth in the ongoing tournament.
Pravin Pathare, whose opening round of 68 was his best ever score as a professional, made five birdies against a lone bogey. He hit his approach shots to perfection to earn birdies on the 11th and 12th and chipped it within six inches for a birdie on the 18th.
The 31-year-old Pathare said, “My ball-striking and driving was excellent and the putting was very consistent. I hit it extremely close on quite a few occasions. I have had top-20s in the two Feeder Tour events held so far this season. I just hope to raise my game now in order to be in contention on a more regular basis.”

The other two joint leaders Harendra Gupta and Rajesh Kumar Rawat also made five birdies and a bogey in their opening rounds. Harendra Gupta has been a winner on the Aircel-PGTI while Rajesh Kumar Rawat had won the first event of the PGTI Feeder Tour this season.Aditya Raj Kumar Chauhan of Delhi is in eighth place as he fired a two under 70.
Arjun Singh Chaudhri of Noida, the winner of the last event on the 2011 PGTI Feeder Tour, is in tied ninth along with Chandigarh’s Harmeet Kahlon and Jalandhar’s Balwinder Singh Mattu at one under 71.