Marrakech, June 5: Aryan Rupa Anand made a remarkable start at the IGPL India Classic, which features a prize pool of $500,000. Just last month, Aryan secured his first professional title at the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) Tour in Congo.
The two-time All-India Amateur Champion from Mysore scored 4-under 68, placing him three strokes behind clubhouse leader Runchanapong Yupraiyong from Thailand, who recorded a score of 65.
Aryan, who played three sub-par rounds during his victory in Congo, competed alongside Thailand’s Gun Charoenakul and seasoned Guatemalan golfer Jose Toledo. After an initial bogey, he regained his rhythm, making three consecutive birdies from the third to the fifth hole. A birdie on the ninth hole brought him to 2-under at the turn. He added two more birdies on the 14th and 18th holes, both par-5s, finishing with a score of 68 and tying for seventh place.
Meanwhile, nearly half of the players were still competing at the long Mazagan Beach and Golf Resort in Morocco, which stretches over 7,448 yards and presents a significant challenge.
Karanveer Kochhar played only nine holes but managed to make five birdies, including a streak of four consecutive birdies from the second to the fifth hole, plus an additional birdie on the seventh. Last year, Kochhar finished T-4 at the IGPL in Dubai, tying with three other players.
Indian golfer Shaurya Bhattacharya, competing on the Asian Tour, began his round from the tenth hole as part of the second group. He started with four pars, then made birdies on three of the next five holes, reaching 3-under. His fourth birdie on the third hole placed him at 4-under in the top five. However, late bogeys on the sixth and eighth holes pushed him back, and he finished with a score of 70, tying for 16th place at 2-under.
Following Runchanapong Yupraiyong’s impressive score of 65, Australian Will Florimo recorded a score of 66. Other Australian players, including Jade Morgan, in-form South African Ian Snyman, and New Zealander Nick Voke, all tied for third with rounds of 67. Kochhar was also at 5-under but still had nine holes remaining.
Among other notable players, Jazz Janewattananond from Thailand, Siddikur Rahman from Bangladesh, and Justin Harding from South Africa ended their opening rounds at 2-under 70. Tanapat Pichaikul, who won the IGPL Morocco Rising Stars 2026 on the same course last week (under the Asian Development Tour), scored an even-par 72.
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