Thursday 19 February 2015 15:56, UK
Defending champion Siddikur Rahman and India's SSP Chawrasia are among five players sharing the clubhouse lead after the opening round of the Hero Indian Open.
Rahman sank a five-foot putt on the 18th in a blemish-free round of 65, while Chawrasia fired six birdies to share the lead with Chapchai Nirat, Joakim Lagergren and Canada's Richard Lee.
Chawrasia, a two-time European Tour winner who previously triumphed at Delhi GC in the 2008 Indian Masters, made three gains from as many holes during the middle of his round and was pleased with his early progress.
“I played very well and was bogey free,” Chawrasia said. “I made some good putts and was hitting it good off the tees. It looked easy but it wasn’t!
“I’ve played here many times so I know how to play this course. It wasn’t very windy in the morning so that made things easier. The wind started to pick up after a few holes but I’m used to playing in these conditions.”
Australia's Kalem Richardson shot seven birdies and three bogeys during an indifferent round to end two strokes back on four-under, level with Asian Tour regular Mithun Perera.
Jazz Janewattananond sits in the group tied-eighth after opening with a three-under 68 on the tight, tree-lined layout, while Matt Fitzpatrick kept in contention with a 69 containing five birdies, one bogey and one double-bogey.
Fresh from missing out on the European Ryder Cup captaincy, Miguel Angel Jimenez opened with nine straight pars in his one-under 70, before blotting his copybook with a bogey on the 10th.
The Spaniard finally carded his first birdie of the day on the 13th, following it up with further gains from five-feet at the 14th and from even closer at the next hole.
Malaysian Open winner Anirban Lahiri, the highest ranked player in the field, struggled to two-over despite opening with back-to-back birdies.
The home favourite ran up a double-bogey at the par-four fourth before hitting a quadruple-bogey eight at the 421-yard tenth, where the Indian’s second shot found an unplayable lie and his fourth clipped the same set of trees.
Lahiri bounced back with two further birdies to join compatriot Shiv Kapur eight strokes back, with last week’s Thailand Classic runner-up Scott Hend in the group a further two shots behind.
Watch day two of the Hero Indian Open live on Friday from 9am on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf.
