Jeev Milkha Singh and Gaurav Ghei made a great effort on the back-nine to finish with two-under 70 each and were tied 40th at the end of the first round at the Deutsche Bank Players’ Championship of Europe on Thursday.
Jyoti Randhawa and Shiv Kapur shot one-under 71 each and were tied 61st. While Jeev, Randhawa and Kapur hold full playing card, Ghei is starting this week on a sponsor’s invite. Simon Khan putted like a dream to take the first round lead at Gut Kaden.
Jeev had a fine start with three birdies on the front nine, but he began his return journey from 10th with three successive bogeys as he dropped to par. But two late birdies on 15th and 18th saw him finish at 70.
Ghei, playing in Europe for the first time this season, had birdies on the second and third and fifth, but a bogey on fourth meant he was still two-under after five holes. He added another birdie on eighth, but bogeys on 10th and 13th set him back. He ended with a birdie on 18th. Kapur had just one birdie on 11th and the rest were pars in a steady round, while Randhawa had three birdies on front nine but gave away two bogeys on back nine.
Among Asian Tour players, South African Anton Haig carded a three-under-par 69 as he was in tied 22nd spot. Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee was even-par for the day in joint 82nd spot alongside Singaporea’s Mardan Mamat.
Atwal falters
Arjun Atwal returned a miserable four-over 75 to be placed at tied 150th after the opening round of the $650,000 Cox Classic golf tournament on the Nationwide Tour, adds PTI from Omaha. The former Asian Tour number one failed to strike a single birdie and stumbled to four bogeys.