More than 100 enthusiastic junior golfers from across the nation vied for an early lead on the first day at Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) golf course.
Yashas got better of the rest as he topped the leader board with a two over par 74 in under-18 category.
Yashas, who showed a lot of promise last year by winning Chandigarh Junior Open golf tournament and Ooty Gymkhana tournament on the South Zone Junior Circuit, was two strokes behind leaders Shubankar Sharma of ITC Classic Golf Resort, New Delhi and D Venkat Gautam of Boulder Hills Golf Resort, Hyderabad at the end of nine holes.
But in the back nine, Yashas played a stable game to snatch the lead. Shubankar, the Toyota Etios Eastern India Junior golf tournament champion in 2011, blew away the lead to Yashas with a triple bogey at the 18th hole.
Shubankar ended the day with a total score of 75, which put him in the second position, one stroke behind the leader as Yashas grabbed a two over 74.
One of the favourites at the start of the tournament, Manu Gandas of DLF Golf and Country Club, Gurgaon who has already notched up two wins this year at Toyota IGU Haryana Juniors and Rajasthan Junior Open Golf Championship, finished the day with a six over par 78 to be placed in the 14th place.
Piyush of DLF Golf and Country Club started off with a double-bogey on the first hole, but recovered his composure quickly with a birdie in the fourth hole and finished the front nine with a one stroke lead.
With Tollygunge's Viraj Madappa and Prakhar Asawa from Rambagh Golf club close at his heels, Piyush maintained the momentum to emerge the frontrunner with a score of 73. Viraj Madappa and PrakharAsawa ended the day at two over par 74.
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