Bhullar takes sole lead at Maritime Invitational after rain-shortened second round

Gaganjeet Bhullar took sole possession of the lead at the Maritime Invitational 2026 in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday after a rain-affected second round. The 38-year-old carded a six-under 44 in the shortened session and is nine-under after 32 holes.

The tournament is part of the Indian Golf Premier League Tour and the second round was reduced to 14 holes because of incessant rain, with the total par for the day set at 50. Play was delayed for more than two hours following overnight downpours, which left some holes unfit for competition.

Bhullar has opened up a six-shot advantage over a chasing quartet: Sachin Baisoya, Tushar Pannu, Deepak Yadav and Ravi Kumar. Those four occupy the positions immediately behind him on the leaderboard following the truncated round.

Bhullar is pursuing back-to-back victories and a third win this season, repeating his feat of 2025. He is also aiming to raise his overall haul to six IGPL titles.

The wet conditions forced tournament officials to alter the schedule and playing sequence, with organisers trimming the round to accommodate the waterlogged course. The delay and hole closures required adjustments before play could resume on Wednesday.

The writer is in Visakhapatnam at the invitation of Indian Golf Premier League.

Bhullar would set a new benchmark in the IGPL if he converts his lead into victory, as no other player has recorded more than two wins in the league.