Shashank holds on to lead, Gauri surges ahead in high-octane action at 26th NCR Cup

Shashank Sachin Gadre held on to his lead as the day saw intense drama and brilliant scoring at the par-71 layout of Jaypee Greens Wish Town during the second round of the prestigious 26th NCR Cup Junior & Amateur Golf Tournament. Operating under the aegis of the Delhi Golf Society (DGS), the flagship event carries official World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points.

Day 2 marked the critical penultimate round for Category Amateur, A, and B contenders battling for WAGR position, while also welcoming Categories C, D, and E into the championship fray for their opening round.

Sashank clings to lead as Sakshity charges

Shashank Sachin Gadre backed up his opening 67 with a polished 3-under-par 68 to take his 36-hole tally to 7-under 135, holding a three-shot cushion heading into the final round. Sakshity Pureandre mounted the charge of the day, scorching the course with a blistering 5-under-par 66 to leap into solo second at 138 (-4).

Shashank and Chaitanya blaze ahead on Day 1 of the 26th NCR Cup Junior & Amateur Golf

Category B phenom Chaitanya Pandey continued his stellar run, shooting 70 to sit comfortably atop Category B and tied for third overall at 140 (-2) alongside Category A stalwarts Arshvant Srivastava (71) and Smyaan Gupta (71). Zoravar Singh Toor recorded a sparkling 68 (-3) to climb the ladder. In Category B, Aditya Tiwari and Ayan Khan share second place at 150 (+8), ten strokes behind Pandey.

Gauri Sharma seizes sole possession of the lead

Gauri Sharma produced a commanding display under pressure, firing a 2-under-par 69—the only sub-par round across the girls’ division—to break away from an overnight three-way tie and seize the 36-hole lead at 145 (+3). Round 1 co-leader Aahana Kashyap remains well within striking distance in solo second at 147 (+5) after posting an even-par 71. Samaira Tomar sits solo third at 148 (+6) after a resilient 71.

Category B leader Dalisha Chetry turned in another rock-solid performance with a 1-over 72, cementing her position at 149 (+7).

Taanush Kumar carded the round of the tournament, firing a breathtaking 6-under-par 65 (33-32) to dominate the Category D boys leaderboard

In the Gentlemen amateur, round 1 leader Ritik Madan delivered an exceptional level-par 71—highlighted by a flawless 3-under 32 on the back nine—to move to a two-day aggregate of 143 (+1). Madan holds a commanding 14-stroke lead over Kushagra Gaur, who sits second at 157 (77-80). Harssh Ranna occupies third place at 160. Anoop Singh took over the lead of the ladies’ division.

Avviraaj fired a composed 3-over-par 74 (39-35) to lead Category C Boys by a single stroke over a three-way tie featuring Mohammad Rehan, Drona Singh Dhull, and Shan Alvi, who all signed for 75 (+4).

In Category C girls, Aaliyah Kalra stole the spotlight with a brilliant 1-over 72 (38-34), opening up an 11-stroke lead over Samaira Handa and Aadya Kaushal (83 each).

Taanush Kumar carded the round of the tournament, firing a breathtaking 6-under-par 65 (33-32) to dominate the Category D boys leaderboard. He leads Priyansh Jain (72, +1) by seven shots. In Category D girls, Mahira Sharma delivered an equally dominant performance, posting a 2-over 73 to establish a commanding lead.

Zowra Veer Sikand led the Category E boys’ division with an under-par 5-under 31 over 9 holes, holding a two-stroke advantage over Lakshit Deswal and Siddhik Chaturvedi (33 each). In Category E girls, Manasvi Rathor set the pace with an under-par 32 (-4), four clear of Kaaira Khunga (36).