Muscat, Feb 10 (PTI) Veteran Jyoti Randhawa and seasoned Rashid Khan carded 2-under 70 each to be tied ninth after the first round of the inaugural International Series Oman at Al Mouj Golf.

They were four shots behind the leader, Yonggu Shin, who took advantage of early morning conditions to shoot a six-under-par 66.

Sergio Garcia and Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand shot 67 each and were tied second. Garcia was sharing the lead till he bogeyed the ninth, his last hole.

While Randhawa and Rashid had a good start, Shiv Kapur and Gaganjeet Bhullar had four birdies and four bogeys each in their even par 72 and were tied 29th.

Honey Baisoya (74) was tied 62nd, SSP Chawrasia (75) and Karandeep Kochhar (75) were tied 72nd, Veer Ahlawat (76) was tied 85th as S Chikkarangappa (77) and Jeev Milkha Singh (78) were tied 92nd and tied 100th respectively.

Randhawa, 50, had contrasting fortunes on the front and back nines. He started with 2-under 38 on the front stretch but found birdies against no bogeys on the back nine for a 4-under 32 and a total of 70.

Rashid started on the back nine and was even with one birdie and one bogey and then found two birdies on second and fourth.

Shin, a Canadian, was bogey-free and looked impressive in his outing. His family emigrated to Canada when he was three years old and he has also won on the Korean PGA Tour last year at The 4th Woosung Construction Open.

Sadom carried his form as he was fourth last week in Saudi. American Andy Ogletree returned a 68, despite battling illness.

Japan’s Takumi Kanaya, Korean Kyongjun Moon, and Americans Berry Henson and Trevor Simsby shot 69s, while Scott Vincent from Zimbabwe, last year’s International Series Order of Merit winner, was one of 12 players who returned 70.

Source: PTI News