Chawrasia, Kumar sparkle

 Four-time runners-up, SSP Chawrasia and PGTI regular Sanjay Kumar fired a superb five-under 67 to emerge as the best-placed Indian for a share of the third place after the opening round of the 52nd Hero Indian golf tournament, here on Thursday.

The two-time European Tour winner, Chawrasia, who was defeated in a play-off last year, made a valiant effort to make early claim to the crown as a double bogey was the only blemish in an otherwise brilliant round that included seven birdies at the tricky Delhi Golf Club (DGC) course.

The 44-year-old Sanjay from Lucknow, who has seven title in the domestic circuit and finished 31st on the PGTI’s Rolex Ranking last year, blasted eight birdies and three bogeys in the opening round.

In a rollercoaster round which saw him at even-par after 14 holes, defending champion Anirban Lahiri fired four birdies in the last four holes to end the day with a score of four-under 68, three strokes behind leader Daniel IM of USA, who sizzled with a flawless opening round on his debut at the DGC.

Thailand’s Prom Meesawat, Spaniards Jorge Campillo and Nacho Elvira fired a six-under 66 to trail Daniel by one-shot at the $1.66 million event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour.

Unheralded Honey Baisoya, a 19-year-old golfer from Delhi, who finished 21st on the PGTI’s Rolex Ranking last year, also brought home a 68 to grab a share of the fourth spot.

Among other Indians, Rashid Khan and Rahil Gangjee, who are competing with Chawrasia in the qualifying race to grab a second place at the Olympics behind Lahiri before the cut-off date of July 11, scored three-under 69 to lie one stroke further adrift. Vikrant Chopra also scored a matching 69. Former PGA Tour winner, Arjun Atwal (70), three-time Major champion Padraig Harrington (71) and six-time winner at the Asian Tour, Jeev Milkha Singh (72) were further down the leaderboard.

Scores (after 18 holes): 65: Daniel IM (US), 66: Prom Meesawat (Tha), Jorge Campillo (Esp), Nacho Elvira (Esp), 67: Sanjay Kumar (Ind), Jeunghun Wang (Kor), SSP Chawrasia (Ind), Terry Pilkadaris (Aus), Raphael Jacquelin (Fra), 68: Honey Baisoya (Ind), Anirban Lahiri (Ind), Alejandro Canizares (Esp), Gregory Havret (Fra), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Wade Ormsby (Aus), 69: Sebastien Gros (Fra), Thangaraja N (Sri), David Lipsky (US), Rahil Gangjee (Ind), Vikrant Chopra (Ind), Siddikur Rahman (Ban), Rashid Khan (Ind), Maximilian Kieffer (Ger), 70: Shankar Das (Ind), Craig Lee (Sco), Thanyakon Khrongpha (Tha), Paul Peterson (US), Romain Wattel (Fra), Chapchai Nirat (Tha), Miguel Tabuena (Phi), Chris Paisley (Eng), Ben Evans (Eng), Danny Chia (Mas), Arjun Atwal (Ind), Julien Quesne (Fra), Pablo Larrazabal (Esp), Trevor Fisher Jnr (Rsa), M Dharma (Ind), Angelo Que (Phi).