Shillong, Meghalaya, 12-11-2014
Mukesh Kumar shoots 64, opens up two-shot lead in round one
Hole-in-one for Bhanu Pratap Singh
Mukesh Kumar of Mhow shot a six-under-64 in the opening round of the Chief Minister's Meghalaya Open Golf 2014 to open up a two-shot lead. Abhishek Kuhar of Gurgaon, Lucknow's Sanjay Kumar and Kolkata's Mohammad Sanju fired scores of four-under-66 to be tied second at the Shillong Golf Course.
The seasoned Mukesh Kumar, a winner of over 100 titles in India, came out firing on all cylinders as he landed it within five feet for birdies on the seventh and ninth holes. Mukesh, playing his first event at the scenic Shillong Golf Course, got his round going with the eagle on the 10th where he tapped-in after hitting the green in two shots. A couple of good wedge shots on the 13th and 14th helped him pick up two more strokes.
The 49-year-old Mukesh, currently ranked 12th on the Rolex Rankings, said, “I enjoyed myself out there today. I set myself up for birdies and the eagle on the 10th courtesy some excellent wedge shots. I also putted well to take my opportunities on the greens. Importantly, I didn't drop any bogeys. It's not been one of my best seasons so far but I'm confident I can do well here this week. This is a brilliant venue for professional golf and the changes in elevation pose quite a challenge.â€Â
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Nineteen-year-old Abhishek Kuhar of the DLF Golf & Country Club had a great start to the tournament as he converted a 15-feet eagle putt on the fourth. He followed up the eagle with four birdies and two bogeys to close with a four-under.
“The eagle really fired me up. I made some good chip-putts from there on and hit most fairways to finish with a low number. My approach shots left a lot to be desired though. It's an ideal start to the week and sets me up for the following rounds,†said Kuhar.
He added, “I've struggled with my swing in the first half of the season but my game is looking up now.â€Â
Sanjay Kumar, currently ranked 15th on the Rolex Rankings, matched Kuhar's score as he returned a card with five birdies and a bogey. Sanjay came up with some excellent wedge shots to land the ball within four feet on three occasions.
Sanjay said, “I hit some accurate wedge shots today and kept the errors out of my game. The key at this course will be to keep it in play. I've posted a runner-up finish this year and am keen to improve on that.â€Â
Md Sanju also ended the day in joint second thanks to an eagle and two birdies. Sanju battled more windy conditions in the second half of the day and landed it within three feet for eagle on the 10th and birdie on the 14th.
Delhi golfer Bhanu Pratap Singh made a phenomenal comeback after starting with a triple-bogey on the 11th to end up tied fifth at three-under-67. The 23-year-old made three birdies and a bogey on the next eight holes before firing a hole-in-one on the third where his pitching wedge tee shot landed four feet short before rolling in. He added two more birdies to his card on the sixth and 10th.
The Delhi duo of Siddharth Semwal and Vikrant Chopra and Sri Lankan K Prabagaran also carded scores of 67 to join Bhanu Pratap in tied fifth.
Jeevan Sharma fared the best among the Shillong-based professionals as he posted an even-par-70 to be tied 19th.
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