The semi-final line-up for the IGU 124th Amateur Championship of India was finalised after an action-packed day of match play at the Tollygunge Club here on Friday, with Sukhman Singh, Sidhant Nathan, Danish Verma, and Harman Sachdeva booking their places in the last four of the prestigious tournament.
The day began early with the pre-quarterfinals, where eight match play contests were held in the morning session, featuring 16 golfers. The biggest upset saw defending champion Anshul Mishra of West Bengal bow out after a 4&2 loss to Sukhman Singh. Joining Sukhman in advancing to the quarterfinals were Arjun Singh, Deepak Yadav, Sidhant Nathan, Danish Verma, Ribhav Verma, Harman Sachdeva, and Angad Singh.
Later in the day, the eight qualifiers returned to the course for the quarterfinal match play round. After four closely-fought encounters, Sukhman Singh, Sidhant Nathan, Danish Verma, and Harman Sachdeva emerged victorious to secure their places in the semifinals.
Danish Verma, the only junior golfer to reach the semifinal stage, reflected on the competitive nature of the rounds and said he would be focusing on his putting ahead of his clash with Harman Sachdeva. Harman described the day as physically demanding, admitting that fatigue played a role as his quarterfinal was decided on the 18th hole.
Sidhant Nathan, who overcame Deepak Yadav, credited a steady approach and disciplined strategy for his progress despite a slow start to the championship.
The semifinal round will be played on Saturday. Uttar Pradesh’s Sukhman Singh will face Karnataka’s Sidhant Nathan in the first semifinal, while Punjab’s Danish Verma will take on Haryana’s Harman Sachdeva in the second.