The standout performer of the opening round was David D’Souza, who delivered a sensational performance with a total of 70 to claim the early lead at the Karnataka Golf Association. His brilliant round set a blistering pace for the field as the AVT Champions Tour 2026–27 season got underway in Bengaluru, coinciding with the historic 100th anniversary celebration of the AV Thomas Group.

Hot on his heels was Pushpendra Rathore, who finished as the runner-up on Day 1 in the Overall Gross category with a stellar total score of 71, keeping himself firmly in contention after an impressive performance across the opening 18 holes. Ashish Kapoor looms close behind in third place after carding a solid 74.

Competition across the age categories was equally intense as the field tackled the challenging layout:

Category A (50–54 years):
Monish Bindra set the early benchmark in the division by carding a 77 to secure the top spot on Day 1. Following closely behind was a dramatic four-way tie for the second position, with Sharad Datta, Siddharth Sharma, Harmeet Sahney, and Anil Hosour all turning in identical rounds of 78 to remain right in the mix.

Category B (55–59 years):
Ashish Kapoor produced a standout performance to lead the field after firing a gross score of 74. Shivas Nath and Vivek Varma finished hot on his heels, sharing the second spot for the opening round after both carded impressive rounds of 77.

Category C (60–64 years):
David D’Souza led the charge with his phenomenal round of 70, establishing a narrow cushion at the top of the leaderboard. Pushpendra Rathore kept the pressure on by finishing as the immediate second with a superb 71.

Category D (65–69 years):
Viney Singh set a commanding pace for the division, executing an excellent round of 75 to take the opening-day lead. Sanjeev Mehera finished as second for the day after signing for a solid gross score of 79, with Swarndeep Singh Batth ending the round at third, just one stroke back with 80.

Category E (70 Years & Above):
Gangesh Khaitan produced a highly commendable performance to finish at the top of the senior-most division with an opening round of 79. Ashit Luthra put together an equally steady round to finish right behind as second with a score of 80, whilst HPS Dhillon finished the round at third with a score of 84.

Ladies’ Category
In the women’s division, Roopa Pratap produced a commendable performance to set the pace with a total score of 85, while Deepa Singal finished the opening day in second with an 88. Sitting just one stroke back Rajeshwari Agarwal took the third spot at the end of the round with a score of 89

Individual Nett
The nett divisions saw fierce competition as players maximised their scoring opportunities across the course:

Handicap 0–9:
Viney Singh set a blistering pace to lead the field with a spectacular nett score of 67. David D’Souza maintained his excellent overall momentum to secure the second spot for the day with a nett 69.

Handicap 10–18:
Swarndeep Singh Batth delivered a brilliant round to clear the field and lead the category with an impressive nett score of 68. The battle for the second spot ended in a tight four-way lockdown, with Karthikeyan Krishnaraj, Arun Murugappan, Rohit Cariappa, and HPS Dhillon all tied with matching nett rounds of 72.

The team events were fiercely contested and added further excitement to the opening round of the tournament, highlighting camaraderie across the field.

Team Gross Category:
KGA 1, comprising David D’Souza, Jehangir Tankariwala, Arjun Anekar, and Vivek Verma, shared the opening-day lead with Mumbai 1, featuring John Wilcox, Parthiv Sangrajka, Rohit Philip, and Harmeet Sahney, after both teams carded a sensational combined score of 223. Following closely in third place was Gurugram, represented by Pushpendra Rathore, Sandeep Choudhary, Ranjit Atwal, and Mohit Talwar, who put together a strong total of 236.

Team Nett Category:
Devil’s Own set the pace on Day 1 as C S Grewal, Harjote Sidhu, Swarndeep Singh Batth, and HPS Dhillon combined beautifully for a leading total score of 214. They hold a narrow one-stroke cushion over KGA 4’s Sanjay Goel, Sanjeev Mehera, Sanjay Sridhar, and Viney Singh, who finished the day in second place with a score of 215. Sitting a further stroke back in third was KGA 1’s David D’Souza, Jehangir Tankariwala, Arjun Anekar, and Vivek Verma with a 216.