Lubumbashi : In a fine display of golfing prowess, young Indians Tushar Pannu and Mannat Brar jointly topped the leaderboard after the first round of the AM Green IGPL Invitational Congo, the fourth leg of the 2026 IGPL Tour, played at the challenging Par-73 Golf Club de Lubumbashi.
Pannu, just 21 and in his second year as a professional, carded a spectacular 6-under 67, featuring five birdies, one eagle and a solitary bogey, to finish tied for the lead. Brar, 19, matched that score with a bogey-free 67, showcasing consistency and precision from start to finish.
Brar’s round included multiple birdies on both the front and back nines and positions her to make history; she is aiming to become only the second Indian woman to win a mixed-gender professional event on the IGPL Tour, following Pranavi Urs’s breakthrough last year.
Standout Performances Beyond the Leaders
Hot on the heels of the co-leaders was Sukhman Singh, the rookie son of former top amateur Simarjeet Singh, who fired a 5-under 68 to sit alone in third place.
A pair of seasoned performers — Aman Raj and Harendra Gupta — shared fourth place at 4-under 69. A cluster of competitors, including last week’s South Africa winner Udayan Mane, Manav Shah, and Syed Saqib Ahmed, followed closely in a tie for sixth with 3-under 70.
A larger group of seven players, such as Saarthak Chhibber, Sunhit Bishnoi, and rookie pros Danish Verma and Kanav Chauhan, carded 2-under 71 and were grouped at ninth place.
Team Competition and IGPL Tour Context
In the team standings, Atri Mumbai – led by Pannu (67) and Raj (69) – held a strong 10-under position after day one, two strokes clear of Flying Man Kolkata, whose leaders included Singh (68) and Ahmed (70). Green Fuels Vizag, powered by Manav Shah (70) and Verma (71), sat third at 5-under.
The AM Green IGPL Tour’s African Swing has taken the circuit from India through Mauritius and Johannesburg, with Congo marking its debut as part of the 2026 calendar.
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