Jamshedpur, Dec 21 (PTI) Delhi’s Kapil Kumar fired a sensational nine-under 63 to grab the round one lead at the season-ending TATA Steel Tour Championship here on Wednesday.
Shiv Kapur, a winner of six international titles, struck a 64 to be placed second. His card featured an albatross on the par-5 ninth hole where he holed his second shot from 240 yards.
Hyderabad’s Mohd Azhar occupied third place at 65.
The first round of the tournament saw one half of the field play their first nine holes at Golmuri Golf Course and second nine at Beldih Golf Course, while the other half of the field played at Beldih first, followed by Golmuri.
This format will also be followed for the next three rounds of the tournament with the par for the round being 72.
Kapil, currently 21st in the TATA Steel PGTI Rankings with three top-10s to his credit in the season, fired it close to the hole at Golmuri to pick up three of his four birdies on the front-nine from a range of six feet.
A runner-up in Pune this year, Kapil then sank longer putts on the newly-relaid Beldih to pick up three more birdies. He also made a six-feet eagle conversion on the 12th.
Kapur, who is playing his first competitive round in over two months after recovering from a rib injury, was off to a brisk start with two birdies and an albatross on the ninth at Golmuri.
Kapur then added three more birdies at Beldih by sinking a 15-footer on the 11th and landing his approach within inches of the flag on the 15th.
TATA Steel PGTI Rankings leader Manu Gandas shot a 66 to be tied fourth along with Udayan Mane and Chikkarangappa.
Among the prominent names, Jyoti Randhawa (67) was tied seventh, SSP Chawrasia (69) was tied 16th, while Ajeetesh Sandhu (70), currently third in the PGTI Order of Merit, was tied 22nd.
Yuvraj Singh Sandhu (72), currently second in the PGTI Order of Merit, was tied 36th, Gaganjeet Bhullar (76) was tied 69th and Jeev Milkha Singh (79) was tied 73rd.
The two Jamshedpur-based professionals, Karan Taunk (73) and Kurush Heerjee (75) were placed tied 49th and tied 66th respectively.
Source: PTI News
