Panasonic Open: India's Sandhu, Ghai tied on 2nd place

New Delhi [India], Oct 25 (ANI): Asian Tour winner Ajeetesh Sandhu and Gurgaon's Tapy Ghai, who is playing his second season as a professional, shot identical scores of five-under-67 to be placed tied-second at the end of day one in Panasonic Open being played at the Delhi Golf Club (DGC) on Thursday.
Thailand's Suradit Yongcharoenchai topped the leaderboard after logging six-under-66. Bangladesh's Md Siddikur Rahman (67) also took a share of the second spot, the other Indians who enjoyed a strong start at the USD 400,000 event were Veer Ahlawat and Rashid Khan, who are placed in tied-fifth with scores of 68. Indian great Jeev Milkha Singh, Kapil Kumar, and Karandeep Kochhar are placed tied-ninth with scores of 69. Defending champion Shiv Kapur carded a 70 to be tied 16th.
Chandigarh-based Sandhu, a winner on the Asian Tour last year, was quick off the blocks collecting three birdies on the front nine at the cost of one bogey. The man with two top-10s in Asia this year then stepped on the gas on the back nine as he gathered four more birdies in exchange for a single bogey. Interestingly, the 30-year-old's day one performance was reminiscent of his first round show last year when he had taken the lead with an eight-under-64
"The score is pretty good. I played alright, not my best. It's something that might just happen on this course. I think I played pretty well. That three birdies in a row kind of gave me some momentum heading into the remainder of the round. I hit two good shots on the 13th and made a 10-footer for birdie there. The 14th hole was the toughest hole that I birdied today. I hit a great chip for eagle on the 18th but it somehow tossed out. But I'll take it. I'm happy with the birdie on the last," said Sandhu, who was the joint runners-up last year.
"It was pretty warm out there. There was no wind so it was pretty easy. The greens are a bit slow so you got to be aggressive with your shots. If you miss on the wrong side of the greens, you miss another chance. I am sure the conditions will be different tomorrow morning. It plays completely differently when the sun comes out. The course plays shorter and it's definitely easier. I'll just take it as it comes. I have played this course enough times," he added.
Md Siddikur Rahman produced a bogey-free 67 at his favourite course where has secured 12 top-10 finishes in the past. Veer Ahlawat, another 22-year-old, made a mark on day one draining six birdies against a lone bogey. Ahlawat has been one of the most consistent performers on the PGTI since he turned pro back in 2016. In the last three seasons, he has 13 top-10s to his credit. (ANI)