The Delhi Golf Club is famend to be one of many tightest layouts any skilled can hope to come across, and regardless of the redesign by South African legend Gary Player, it performed true to its popularity on the opening day of the DGC Open on Thursday.
Local information and expertise are important benefits and there have been greater than 10 Indian names among the many high 10 on the leaderboard after the primary spherical, with Kolkata professional Shankar Das heading the sector by one stroke together with Aussie Travis Smyth at five-under 67.
There was a heavy native taste behind them with the likes of Veer Ahlawat, Ajeetesh Sandhu, Karandeep Kochhar, Varun Parikh, Aman Raj, Shamim Khan, Sachin Baisoya, Manu Gandas and M Dharma within the combine, as was DGC member Shiv Kapur.
A dream begin for Kolkata’s Shankar Das as he ends the opening day on the of the leaderboard.@asiantourgolf @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/8S1FumFU6f
— The DGC Open (@TheDGCOpen) March 24, 2022
The Lodhi Course of the DGC is so tight that Smyth did not even convey his driver to the venue. “I’d like to know if this is actually the tightest golf course in the world because if there is a course out there tighter than this then I don’t want to play it,” mentioned the 27-year-old after opening the Asian Tour occasion with an eagle, 4 birdies and a solitary bogey.
“My energy is my iron play so not having my driver out right here, I’m fairly pleased with that. I took the motive force out of my bag for the primary time in my life.”
Das, 39, is a seasoned campaigner on the home circuit with seven PGTI titles. But he hasn’t tasted success for greater than 4 years. He had the motive force in his bag however resisted its use, and reaped wealthy dividends within the type of six birdies and a solitary dropped shot. Both the leaders are but to win on the Asian Tour.
“This is a very good course. Earlier there were flat greens, but now there are more high greens. Now not only do you have to hit the tee shot well, but you have to hit the second shot really well, then only you get a chance for a birdie. Overall, I feel I am getting my game back,” Das mirrored on the adjustments within the format.
He has waited a very long time to get close to the highest of a leaderboard with a again harm after which the pandemic leading to no tournaments for him to play.
Familiarity not sufficient
At one stage, it appeared that residence boy Kapur will even end across the high of the leaderboard earlier than he faltered within the second half of his spherical.
“I began off fairly effectively, was fairly pleased with my spherical, was 4 beneath for the primary 10 holes. Then I hit a little bit of a pace bump on the again 9. I did not fairly have my A sport in the present day. I made a few sloppy bogeys coming in and that made the distinction between and a median spherical,” mentioned the four-time winner on the Asian Tour who triumphed within the 2017 Panasonic Open on the identical venue.
“On a course like this lined with timber and bushes, there is not any margin for error. One free shot right here is 2, three pictures gone and the large numbers can actually harm you round right here.”
Co-leaders@TheDGCOpen #TheDGCOpen #whereitsAT pic.twitter.com/1sv3mnzUAy
— Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) March 24, 2022
Overall, gamers from the morning wave had a lot the higher of circumstances with Ahlawat the uncommon afternoon starter to make good progress (tied third).
“I was going well and could have capitalized further but for a bogey on 12. Two birdies after that helped me further and I just kept it going with pars on my last two holes,” he mentioned. ,
Prominent Indian names like Jeev Milkha Singh, Rashid Khan, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Rahil Gangjee, S Chikkarangappa, Mukesh Kumar, SSP Chawrasia, Gaurav Ghei and Amandeep Johl completed the day effectively behind the tempo.
Earlier, the 86-year-old Player – a winner of 9 Majors – hit the ceremonial tee shot of the US$500,000 occasion and later held an hour-long golf clinic.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
