India’s Shubhankar Sharma carded a one-under 71 to be tied-42nd after the first round of the BMW PGA Championship in Wentworth, U.K.
En route, Sharma survived a big blip on the back nine — he triple-bogeyed on the fourth hole, with was Par-5. In the 12th, 13th and 18th holes, he registered birdies. He added a fourth birdie on second when disaster struck on Par-5 fourth. Sharma bogeyed the next hole, too, to be suddenly even-par. However, he fought back with a birdie on Par-4 sixth, and ended the day at 71.
“I am proud of the way I hung despite dropping the triple,” Sharma said.
Compatriot S. S. P. Chawrasia carded an even par to be tied-69th. He birdied and bogeyed three times each.
The one to sit atop the leaderboard was Matt Wallace. The 29-year-old delighted his home crowd, carding a flawless seven-under 65 to move to a one-shot lead. On a sunny and hot day, Wallace, who won three of his four European Tour titles in 2018, was the star of the show.
Related | Wallace sets Wentworth pace at McIlroy faces battle to make cut
He opened with a birdie three at the first before a stunning eagle-birdie-birdie run from the fourth hole saw him reach the turn in five-under-par. Wallace cruised home with a couple of birdies more to move to the top, ahead of Spain’s Jon Rahm and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson on six-under-par.
Justin Rose, their Ryder Cup-winning team-mate, was a shot behind, after a five-under 67.
Justin Rose, Ernie Els, Paul Casey, and Danny Willett were among the seven players at four-under 68.
Lahiri tied-17th
At the Sanderson Farms Golf Championship in Jackson, Mississippi, India’s Anirban Lahiri carded a three-under 69 in the first round to be placed tied-17th. Lahiri hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation during his first round.
After a drive to the left rough on the 554-yard par-5 on 11th hole, Lahiri hit an approach shot from 89 yards to six feet, setting himself up for the birdie on th ehole to move to one-under for the round.
Compatriot Arjun Atwal was even par through the five holes when play was called off due to inclement weather.
Tom Hoge was positioned at the top of the leaderboard with an eight-under. Robert Streb, Cameron Percy, and Seamus Power shot seven-under-65 each to be tied-second. Zac Blair, Emiliano Grillo, Zach Johnson, Mark Anderson, An Byeong-hun, and J. T. Poston are all tied-fifth.
Lahiri added a second birdie on 13th, and then, on the 330-yard par-4 15th hole, Lahiri reached the green in two and sunk a seven-foot putt for birdie. It got him to three-under for the round. He turned in three-under, but dropped shots on Par-5 sixth, but got back that shot on the 612-yard par-5 fifth, where he drove 321 yards.
Lahiri chipped his third shot to two feet which he rolled for one-putt birdie on the hole to get back to three-under for the round. he had a bogey on the sixth hole, where he missed a par putt from four feet, yet again, on the 403-yard par-4 eighth hole. Lahiri also had a 142-year approach shot and he played it well for a birdie to finish at three-under for the round.
Among the well-known players trying to find their form early is Johnson, who hasn’t had a top-10 in this calendar year so far, and missed the FedEx Cup Playoffs for the first time since they began, in 2007.
Johnson had also missed the cut in last week’s A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier.
Comments
SHARE