New Delhi: There was a distinctly European flavour to the $1.75 million Hero Indian Open standings after blustery winds and passing showers truncated play at the DLF Golf and Country Cub, which bared its fangs on the opening day itself on Thursday. Italy’s Matteo Manassero overcame a poor start with a four-under-par 68 to hold the clubhouse lead, one shot ahead of Englishman Eddie Pepperell.
The closest Indians with a completed round were Rahil Gangjee, local boy Shubhankar Sharma and amateur Rigel Fernandes on level par 72, while defending champion S.S.P. Chawrasia and 2015 Panasonic Open winner Chirag Kumar were one under 71 after 15 and 11 holes respectively. England’s David Horsey was five-under after 15 bogey-free holes, one ahead of the Italian on the leaderboard.
The 23-year-old Manassero, a four-time winner on the European Tour, double bogeyed his opening hole on the Gary Player course but fought back with seven birdies against one more bogey to seize the early initiative in the event tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and Indian Golf Union. As many as 66 players will return to the course early on Friday to conclude the first round after the threat of lightning forced a 90-minute suspension in the afternoon.
Home favourite Anirban Lahiri, Asian Tour number one in 2015, required two closing birdies to salvage a four over par 76. The challenging course saw big totals racked up on the day with former Asian number one Thaworn Wiratchant returning a nightmare 17 over 89 and Jeev Milkha Singh faring marginally better with a 13-over 85. There were more than a few scores in double-digits, underscoring the challenging nature of this narrow, undulating course.
Said a downcast Lahiri, “I’m quite disappointed. I was playing well at the start but a couple of times just waiting on hitting my shot threw me off my rhythm. “I couldn’t hit the right kind of shape I was looking for. I missed a bunch of greens as well. I was in a great position off the tee on the fourth, but miscalculated the wind there.” Added Pepperell, “I’m just relieved to be off the golf course. That’s the most stressful three under par I think I’ve ever shot. I hadn’t seen the course before today and literally every shot, something can go wrong.” First round action resumes at 7 am on Friday.
