The Hindu : Sport / Golf : Bhullar takes lead

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Friday, Sep 19, 2008
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Bhullar takes lead

Sports Reporter

GURGAON: Gaganjeet Bhullar used his patience to beat the tough ‘roughs’ and some challenging weather conditions to grab the lead on the opening day of the DLF Masters golf tournament here on Thursday.

Rain and strong wind posed hurdles for the golfers but Bhullar, backed by his momentum of playing for the fifth straight week, was determined to do well and finished the first round with a score of five-under 67.

A consistent Harmeet Kahlon gave a tough fight by shooting a four-under 68 for the second spot on the leaderboard. Himmat Singh Rai and Ajeetesh Singh Sandhu were third and fourth with scores of three-under 69 and two-under 70 respectively.

No big putting

Though there was no big putting to boast for Bhullar, the Kapurthala-based golfer’s seven birdies — on third, sixth, ninth, 10th, 11th, 16th and 18th holes — helped him reach the top despite sinking bogeys on the 5th and 12th holes.

“The rough is tough and there was a lot of wind. But the greens are playing good. Here patience is the key. So, I played my game and waited,” Bhullar said after a strenuous day.

“I am hitting well as I have been playing for the last five weeks in a row. I need to stick to the routine tomorrow and keep the momentum going,” the Doha Asian Games silver medallist said.

Kahlon came out with a flawless front nine, laced with two birdies on the eighth and ninth holes. But his back nine witnessed lots of ups and downs. A couple of birdies — on the 10th and 12th — and an eagle on the 18th boosted him while bogies on 11th and 16th affected his performance slightly.

Among the big names, defending champion Jyoti Randhawa and Ashok Kumar were tied seventh with six others with an even par score. Gaurav Ghei shot three-over 75 to share the 31st spot while Shiv Kapur was tied 39th with a score of four-over 76.

Keenly looking forward to get into the grove, Kapur played well in patches. Three bogeys and a double bogey — on the 14th — wasted his three-birdie effort as the stylish golfer was clearly dejected while winding off the day’s proceedings.

Top scores: Gaganjeet Bhullar 67; Harmeet Kahlon 68; Himmat Singh Rai 69; Ajeetesh Sandhu 70; Harendra Gupta, Arjun Singh 71; Feroz Ali Mollah, Jyoti Randhawa, Naman Dawar, C Muniyappa, Sandeep Syal, Ashok Kumar, Mukesh Kumar, Shamim Khan 72.

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