Lucknow, June 9 -- Twenty-four-year-old Abhishek Kumar of Panchkula carded an error-free five-under 65 to open up a two-shot lead after round one of the inaugural PGTI NexGen Vijay Kumar Memorial being played at Lucknow Golf Club.

Abhishek, who started from the fifth hole in the shotgun format, made five birdies without dropping a shot to emerge as the sole leader. The Panchkula golfer currently occupies fourth place on the NexGen Order of Merit, having registered a victory at the season-opening DP World PGTI NexGen event in Faridabad in February.

Reflecting on his bogey-free effort, Abhishek said, "It was important for me to stay bogey-free today. I hit the ball well and kept giving myself chances. I found 16 greens in regulation and m...