Visakhapatnam, April 7 Dhruv Sheoran, a winner on the DP World PGTI, posted an opening round of four-under 67 to set the pace in the first round of the Rs 1 crore Andhra Open at the East Point Golf Club (EPGC) here on Tuesday.
The 31-year-old Sheoran moved to the top of the leaderboard with an eagle on the par-5 12th and a string of three consecutive birdies from the first through the third holes.
On the 12th, Sheoran hit a massive 372-yard drive, followed by a gap wedge that left him two feet short of the hole, and he converted the putt on the par-71 course for an eagle.
The Bengaluru-based duo of PGTI winners Chikkarangappa S. and Khalin Joshi were tied second, one shot behind at three-under 68.
The par-5 seventh has been adjusted to a 477-yard par-4, bringing the course par down to 71.
Dhruv, based in Gurugram, currently stands 11th on the PGTI Order of Merit from six starts, with a best finish of tied 6th at the Indorama Ventures Open Golf Championship in Ahmedabad last month.
Talking about his round, Dhruv said, "The round was good. I kept creating opportunities for myself and gained momentum after the eagle on the 12th. I did drop a couple of shots late, but overall, I'm happy with how I played. The course is in a valley, so the slopes and grain make the greens tricky to read, but I stayed patient and stuck to my process."
Khalin Joshi, a former Asian Tour winner in 2018 who also finished eighth on the DP World PGTI Ranking in 2025, said, "I played really well today. The greens are tricky to read and not easy to hole putts, but I kept the ball in play and made some good birdies.
"I dropped a few shots with a couple of three-putts, but overall, I'm satisfied with the start and looking forward to the next three days."
Angad Cheema, winner of the last event at EPGC in 2024, scored a 69 to be tied fourth.
Saptak Talwar, the DP World PGTI Order of Merit leader, stood tied 10th at one-under 70. One of the highlights of the day was Nepalese golfer Subash Tamang's hole-in-one on the 144-yard par-3 11th.
Tamang shot a 70 to end the day in tied 10th place.
