June 02, 2016: Shubham Jaglan produced sensational golf in the first two rounds of the European Championship 2016 to take a commanding five shot lead over the field. The Haryanvi boy is playing the 11 year category in the US Kids Golf event. Jaglan got off to a breezy front nine in the first round and hasn’t turned back since then, firing 69-72 at the Craigielaw Golf Club in Pinehurst. The event is part of the World Championship series organized by the US Kids Golf Foundation.
Jaglan is standing head and shoulders over an international field of young golfers. He fired five birdies on the front nine to race through in just 31 strokes. A bogey at the 10th stalled his progress, but he was six under through the 13th hole after adding two more birdies.
Shubham suffered bogeys at the 14, 16 and 17 to drop back to three under. But that was enough to give him a four shot lead as the second best score was 73 by a French lad, Adam Bresnu.
In the second round, Shubham continued his dominant display of golf. An even 72, matched only by Denmark’s Nicolai Spangenberg increased Shubham’s cushion at the top by one more shot. The Indian is the only boy in the category still under par.
The boys 11 category has 70 competitors from around the world. The competition will close tomorrow and a decent round of golf should be enough to hand Shubham the title in Pinehurst.
“Shubham is really good, very confident too” said a clearly impressed Amit Luthra of the Golf Foundation. “He beat me off the professional tees last week at the Delhi Golf Club. He has the potential to turn professional in the next 6-7 years.”
The second round got off to a rocky start for Shubham on Wednesday. He misfired at the first hole, taking a triple bogey seven to fall back to even overall.
But the determined young boy recovered brilliantly with a hat-trick of birdies, showcasing his temperament at such a young age.
He made another bogey at the sixth hole, but offset it with a birdie at the ninth to ensure he made the turn in an even 36 strokes.
Shubham made a fine birdie at the 455 yard par-5 eleventh hole before adding one more at the 12th hole. But bogeys at 14 and 18 dropped him back to even par for the round and three under overall.
With a five shot cushion over Nicolai and the lessons of the second round in his mind, Shubham is the front runner on Thursday for the Boys 11 title in the European Championship 2016.
