Chandigarh, March 11 -- Young professional Shat Mishra made an impressive start to the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) Invitational 2026, carding a brilliant six-under 66 to grab the early lead after the opening round of the tournament at Chandigarh Golf Club on Wednesday. Mishra, who turned professional only last year and finished mid-table in the 2025 Tour standings, produced a dazzling display on the front nine before steadying himself on the back stretch to stay ahead of a competitive field. The youngster looked in complete control during the early stages of the round. He fired five birdies on the front nine to surge ahead but faced a brief setback with back-to-back bogeys on the 10th and 11th holes. He, however, quickly regained momentum. He picked up crucial shots on the back nine, including birdies on the 13th and 17th, and produced the highlight of the day with a stunning eagle on the par-5 16th to finish with a commanding 66. Mishra was pleased with his opening round but admitted there was room for improvement. "All the work I have put in showed. The front nine was great and the putts fell nicely, but I gave away a few shots on the back nine with a short missed putt and a plugged lie. The eagle on the 16th was a big boost. Overall, the game is coming around and I just need to stay consistent," he said. His effort gave him a two-shot lead over a trio of seasoned contenders, defending champion Gaganjeet Bhullar, Yashas Chandra and Gurugram's Kartik Sharma, who were tied for second place at four-under 68. Bhullar, who is balancing commitments between the International Series, Asian Tour and IGPL this season, returned a bogey-free 68. Despite the solid round, the Chandigarh golfer said he would spend time working on his putting. A large group of five players shared fifth place at three-under 69, including last year's No. 2 Aman Raj, experienced pro Chiragh Kumar, Indian-American Manav Shah, young recruit Danish Verma and Chandigarh's Ranjit Singh. The depth of the field was evident as six players were tied for 10th at two-under 70. The group included reigning IGPL player Pukhraj Singh Gill, who is returning from injury, in-form Karandeep Kochhar, IGPL Pune winner Kapil Kumar, Syed Saqib Ahmed, promising youngster Krish Chawla and Asian Tour stalwart SSP Chawrasia. Veteran SSP Chawrasia also showed glimpses of form. After early bogeys, he bounced back with three consecutive birdies from the 12th to the 14th. "There was some rust, but I think I cleared some of it," the six-time Asian Tour winner said....