Rakshit Dahiya is tied 28th after Round 1 of World Amateur Team Golf; India T-18th in team standings

Singapore: Rakshit Dahiya carded an even-par 72 in testing conditions at the Tanah Merah Country Club (Tampines Course) here on Wednesday to end the opening round as the best-placed Indian in the World Amateur Team Championship (WATC) for the Eisenhower Trophy.

Dahiya, the Delhi NCR Cup 2025-winner, was placed tied 28th, seven strokes behind leader Hiroshi Hirahara Tai of Singapore. Team India ended the opening day in T-18th position among 36 nations in the overall standings.

Part of the three-member team sent by the Indian Golf Union (IGU), National Sports Federation for golf, Rakshit didn’t have a desired start to his WATC campaign, with bogeys on the second and fifth holes. But he made amends by draining birdies on the 12th, 16th, and 17th holes. However, bogey on the finishing hole meant he slipped more than 10 places on the leaderboard.

Talking about his round, Rakshit said, “I could have finished higher, but it is a decent start. The conditions were tough to say the least. But I managed to keep it at even par. Tomorrow, I will focus more on avoiding as many mistakes as possible and keeping the ball on the right spot in the fairway. The IGU has supported the team in all ways possible, and events like these only build our confidence to challenge the best golfers in the world.”

Another Indian, Deepak Yadav, submitted a modest card of one-over 73 to end Day 1 in joint 35th position. Deepak sank a birdie on the first hole itself and then picked another shot on the sixth hole to end the front nine at two-under-par. He went up as high as three-under-par till the 11th hole before stumbling upon bogeys on the 13th and 14th holes in addition to a double bogey on the 15th for his eventual tally.

Arin Ahuja also had a topsy-turvy round with two birdies and five bogeys that derailed his campaign. He was placed tied-67th with an overall score of 3-over 75.

IANS