Varun cards a three-over, leads the pack 

Kochi: Varun Muthappa found the course very challenging, but he managed to finish on top of the pack

Varun Muthappa found the course very challenging, but he managed to finish on top of the pack at the end of the first day of the IGU Synthite-CIAL South Zone Golf Tour championship at the CIAL Golf Club, Nedumbassery, on Saturday.

The 18-year-old from Bengaluru finished the 18-hole course with a three-over-par (75) and behind him was Mangalore’s Jason Salins (80) in the men’s section. The two-day event concludes on Sunday.

“I think this is the most physically demanding course, even though in Chennai it was very hot, it wasn’t like this,” said Muthappa.

“Here, the grass is a bit thicker so it’s a bit difficult to walk, it’s humid and very hot. And the back nine is probably one of the toughest stretches I’ve played in a long time.”

The results (day one, top three only):

Amateur men: 1. Varun Muthappa (75), 2. Jason Salins (80), 3. Prithviraj Sridhar (84).

Boys: A: 1. Pavan Paruthi (85), 2. Tanmay Bafna & Syed Shayaan Khadri (both 88).