Hyderabad: Ajeetesh Sandhu, who hit nine-under 62, grabbed lead at the end of the first round at the Golconda Masters being played at the Hyderabad Golf Club in the city on Thursday.
The Chandigarh-based golfer came up with an error-free 62 to take the top spot while Abhijit Singh Chadha was placed second, two strokes behind his citymate at seven under-64.
Hyderabad-based professional H. Sunil Kumar made a hole-in-one on the seventh at his home course. He ended the day in tied 105th with a round of six-over-77. S
Sanjay Kumar Singh, the other professional from Hyderabad, was placed tied 66th at two-over-73.
Ajeetesh was striking the ball to perfection as he capitalised on three of the four par-5s and also landed it within six feet of the pin on four occasions.
The 28-year-old left himself only two long putts on the opening day, both of which he sank for birdies on the 18th and fourth. He thus set the course record at HGC, which is being played as a par-71 course for the first time in a professional event.
Ajeetesh, who missed the cut at the inaugural edition of the Golconda Masters, has now entered this year's tournament with a new putter seeking a reversal of fortune.
Abhijit, who only recently recovered from a minor back injury, put together an eagle, seven birdies and two bogeys in his first round. He chipped-in from over the green for eagle on the eighth.
Anura Rohana, runner-up at last week's PGTI event in Bengaluru, continued his hot streak with a quality round of six-under-65. The 42-year-old seasoned pro from Colombo nailed seven birdies at the expense of just one bogey to occupy third place.
Mandeo Singh Pathania of the Jaypee Greens Golf Resort, Greater Noida, had the distinction of firing two eagles, on the sixth and eighth, both par-5s, during his round of 66, that placed him tied fourth.
Defending champion Harendra Gupta of Chandigarh was off to a steady start with a three-under-68 to be tied 11th.
