Mahreen Bhatia leads at US Kids Golf European Championships; Harjai, Vidit third

Edinburgh: Indian golfers got off to a great start at the 2023 US Kids Golf European Championships with as many nine players in top-10 after the first day of the three-day competition being held on five famous Scottish golf courses.

While Mahreen Bhatia shared the lead in girls 13-14 category, five other Indians were in the top-5 after the first day.

Mahreen, who had an outstanding domestic season, carried on the good work by sharing the lead in the girls 13-14 at Royal Musselburgh golf club. Mahreen shot 3-under 69, which included a stunning five-birdie run from third to the seventh.

She added further birdies on 14h and 18th and dropped shots on 15th and 17th. The young Gurgaon golfer shared the lead with Estonian golfer, Iiris Matas, who also had a 69.

Among the other top Indian performers on the first day were Chandigarh's Harjai Milkha Singh (boys 13), son of Indian legend, Jeev Milkha Singh.

Harjai shot even par 72 with four birdies and four bogeys and was tied in third place. He was one shot behind co-leaders, Giancarlo Aguirre of Peru, and Jack McKenna of Ireland, who shot 1-under 71 each.

In the same boys 13 section, Gurgaon's Vihaan Jain was T-5 with a card of 1-over 73 and Noida's Arshvant Srivastava was T-8 with 75 as the competition among the 42 players was tight.

In boys 10 category, Delhi golfer Vidit Aggarwal was T-3 with 75 (+3) and he was just one shot behind leaders, Freddie Buck of US, and Leo Taylor of UK at Craigielaw golf club.

In boys 9 category, Bangalore youngster, Adit Veeramachaneni, who had a phenomenal showing on the home circuit, was sole fourth with an even par 72 at the Musselburgh Golf Club course.

He was two shots behind the leader, Marcus Karim of UK, who had a 2-under 70.

Nihal Cheema, the youngest in the Indian squad, was T-5 in the boys 7 with a round of even par 36 over nine holes at Longniddry Golf Club.

Ananyaa Sood (77) was T-6 in girls 12 at Glen Golf Club, while Naina Kapoor (81) was T-8 in girls 11 at Royal Musselburgh.

A total of 16 Indian golfers are battling it out over five famous Scottish golf courses.