Chattogram (Bangladesh), Mar 9 (Golf News) Harshjeet Singh Sethie was the highest-placed Indian golfer at the Mujib Borsho Chattogram Open after a round of three-under 69 that placed him third while local lad Mohammed Akbar Hossain fired an opening round of five-under 67 to take lead here on Wednesday.

Hossain has a one-shot lead over compatriot Mohammed Razu (68) at the Bhatiary Golf & Country Club which is staging the third event of the 2022 TATA Steel PGTI season and the first Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) event in Bangladesh in three years.

Sethie began the day with three straight birdies on the 10th, 11th and 12th but dropped two bogeys on the back-nine. The six-feet six-inch tall Sethie, who turned professional in 2020, added four more birdies to his card on the front-nine in exchange for two bogeys.

Hossain, a 10th tee starter, made early inroads with birdies on the 11th, 12th and 13th. He then picked up two more strokes on the 16th and 18th to go five-under at the turn. However, he had a relatively quiet front-nine making a birdie and a bogey each.

Hossain, who earned his full card on the PGTI this season after finishing inside the top-40 at the Qualifying School, said, "I hit it close throughout the day today. My iron shots were very accurate and helped me set up short birdie putts. I had 15 greens in regulation and landed it within three feet on three occasions." Razu enjoyed an error-free day with an eagle-two on the 10th and two birdies to be hot on the heels of the leader.

There was a three-way tie for fourth place at two-under 70 between Mohammed Rasel of Bangladesh, India's Shankar Das and Sri Lanka's N Thangaraja.

Bangladesh's premier golfer Siddikur Rahman, one of the pre-tournament favourites, was among the 16 players bunched in tied seventh place at 71.

Zamal Hossain Mollah, another prominent name from Bangladesh, was in tied 34th position with a score of 74. 

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News Source : PTI