Chandigarh, March 12 Aman Raj, who had battled injuries last season, took the lead in the leaderboard, finishing at 11 under par, four strokes ahead of Gaganjeet Bhullar at the halfway stage of the IGPL season opener at the Chandigarh Golf Club, here on Thursday.
The 30-year-old from Patna, who had won twice last season, shot a brilliant 8 under par 64 after his opening round of 69, putting him in a very strong position.
Bhullar, India's most successful player on the Asian Tour with 11 titles, followed his opening 68 with a 71, finishing second at seven under par.
IGPL debutant Varun Parikh carded a 67 after a first-round 71, placing him third at six under par.
A group of four players – Kapil Kumar (70-69), local veteran Ranjit Singh (70-69), Manav Shah (69-70), and defending Order of Merit champion Gill (70-69) – were tied fourth at five under par.
Yashas Chandra (68-72) and Chiragh Kumar (69-71) shared eighth place at four under par.
Amateur Harjai Milkha Singh, son of Jeev Milkha Singh, shot a 69 to be tied 10th at three under par alongside Karandeep Kochhar (70-71) and Sachin Baisoya (72-69).
Last year, Aman had finished second behind Pukhraj in the race to the IGPL Order of Merit, losing by less than Rs. 9,000.
However, Aman is not taking it lightly and said that Bhullar can still catch up.
"Bhullar can come back from any deficit. He is an amazing player. He showed that last year in the IGPL with his consistency," Aman said.
On his own game, Aman said, "I started with a bad shot on the first hole, but still managed to birdie it. It was that kind of a day. I had some trouble off the tee, but my short game was superb, and that carried me through the day."
"I just need to be more consistent. Yes, I am not completely free from minor issues, but I realize that I need to adjust and do my best. Today was one of the good days. I need more days like this."
Bhullar, who was bogey-free in the first round of 68, had one bogey and four bogeys on the second.
"Ironically, I hit the ball well and have been playing very well. But in the last two days, I haven't scored well. I had many opportunities for birdies on both days, but I didn't convert many. That's what I need to work on. Otherwise, the game looks fine, and I am looking forward to a good season," he said.