Vikarabad (Telangana) [India], August 26 (ANI): Chandigarh's Akshay Sharma and Gurugram's Manu Gandas carded matching seven-under 65s to share a one-shot clubhouse lead after the opening day of the Telangana Open 2026, being played at the Vooty Golf County in Vikarabad, Telangana.
Paired together on Tuesday, the two experienced campaigners reached the top of the leaderboard in contrasting fashion. Akshay made a flying start with four consecutive birdies from the first through the fourth. A bogey on the par-five fifth briefly halted his momentum, but he responded with four more birdies to complete an impressive opening round.
Manu Gandas, on the other hand, made two birdies and a bogey on the front-nine and then had a late flourish with an eagle and four birdies on the back nine. Hyderabad-based 19-year-old Vishesh Sharma and Delhi's Rashid Khan shared third place at six-under 66, one shot behind the leaders.
Vishesh produced a bogey-free round featuring six birdies on his return to competition. He had been sidelined by illness for a couple of weeks after missing the cut at the J&K Open three weeks ago.
Rashid put together an eventful 66 featuring an eagle on the par-four third, six birdies and two bogeys. Noida's Lakshya Nagar also kept a clean card, making five birdies in a bogey-free five-under 67 to occupy fifth place.
Akshay, 36, credited his putting with helping him take advantage of the soft, receptive greens.
"I'm feeling great and am very happy with the way I played. I struck the ball well, but the biggest difference was my putting. I holed several long putts, which helped me build the round, " said Akshay.
Akshay, a three-time winner on the PGTI, is currently third in the season rankings. His most recent victory came at the DP World Players Championship at Classic Golf and Country Club in Gurugram in April.
"The greens are soft and rolling true, so the plan was straightforward. I wanted to find the fairways and give myself as many opportunities as possible by hitting the greens in regulation. I'll follow the same approach tomorrow and give it my best," he said.
Gandas overcame a slow start to join his playing partner at the top. His round featured six birdies, an eagle on the par-five 12th and a lone bogey on the par-four sixth.
"I didn't start particularly well, but I found my rhythm and played a strong second half. Hopefully, I can carry that momentum through the rest of the week, " said Gandas.
The 30-year-old did not hit his best drive on the 12th but recovered with an excellent second shot before converting the eagle putt.
"My drive wasn't ideal, but I followed it with a good approach and then holed an excellent putt," he said.
Gandas, a nine-time winner on the PGTI and the 2022 Order of Merit champion, is currently 18th in the standings. He plans to retain the same approach over the next three rounds.
"I'll stay committed to what I'm doing and see where it takes me," he added.
PGTI Order of Merit leader Saptak Talwar returned an even-par 72 to finish the day tied 43rd. Hyderabad's Mohd Azhar, who secured his maiden professional title at last week's Kolar Open, carded a one-over 73 and was tied 51st.
The opening round was suspended due to fading light after rain interrupted play late in the evening. Twenty-seven players out of a total of 132 are yet to complete the first round. (ANI)
Telangana Open 2026: Akshay Sharma, Manu Gandas share opening round lead
