Shubhankar Sharma tied 31st after first round at Cazoo Open

Shubhankar Sharma carded a one-under 70 to emerge as the best-placed Indian (tied 31) after the opening round of the Cazoo Open.

Shubhankar Sharma began with a string of pars and then saw a fair bit of action during the first round of the Cazoo Open. - AP (FILE)

Shubhankar Sharma carded a one-under 70 to emerge as the best-placed Indian (tied 31) after the opening round of the Cazoo Open in Celtic Manor, U.K.

His colleagues Ajeetesh Sandhu (73) was T-72 and Gaganjeet Bhullar (74) was T-91. Nacho Elvira and Vincent Norrman shared the lead after carding seven-under 64.

Norman, making just his fourth European Tour start, set the clubhouse target with a bogey-free round and was joined on that number by Elvira, who carded nine birdies and an eagle. Sharma after 10 straight pars birdied 11th, 15th, and 17th, but also dropped shots on 14th and 16th.

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Sandhu had one birdie at ninth and he bogeyed first, 15th and 17th, while Bhullar birdied sixth and bogeyed 2nd, 12th, 15th, and 16th.

The cut looks likely at one-over.

Two strokes behind the co-leaders Elvira and Norman are Finland's Mikko Korhonen and James Morrison of England, who fired five-under 66 each.

Nine golfers share fifth place on four-under-par, including Sam Horsfield, who won the Celtic Classic last year at this venue - the Twenty Ten Course at The Celtic Manor Resort - as part of the 2020 UK Swing.