Sri Lanka’s N. Thangaraja carded his best-ever score on a PGTI Tour with a brilliant nine-under 61 to take the lead on the opening day of the Chennai Open golf championship at the Madras Gymkhana annexe here on Thursday. Delhi’s Shamim Khan, two-time PGTI Order of Merit champion, finished with a card of six-under (64) that placed him second.
For someone who missed the cut in the previous edition here [2016], it was a dominating performance by Thangaraja — one which featured an eagle, eight birdies and a bogey, giving him a three-shot lead. The 36-year-old had birdies on the first four holes before picking up two more on the sixth and seventh. Thangaraja continued his good show on the back-nine with a short eagle conversion on the 12th hole and two birdies on the 14th and 15th. He, however, had a bogey on the 17th.
“It’s just been an unbelievable day,” said Thangaraja. “It’s only the third time I’ve shot a nine-under. This is my lowest round on the PGTI. My hitting was outstanding —especially my driving. The brilliant start set up the round for me. I kept hitting it within five feet to create chances for myself. The only disappointment was missing out on two eagle opportunities on the front-nine.”
Thangaraja had a special word of thanks to his friend Shiv Kapur, who had gifted him a new driver in August last year. Since then, his driving, which had been his weak point, has got better. “With that driver, I have been doing well,” he said.
Defending champion Mukesh Kumar was tied third with a round of four-under 66, along with Vikrant Chopra and Dipankar Kaushal. Twenty-one-year-old rookie Shivnaren Srinivasan, playing on his home course, shot an even-par 70 to be the highest placed among the six Tamil Nadu-based golfers at tied-26th.
The scores (day one, Indians unless otherwise mentioned): 1. N. Thangaraja (SL) 61, 2. Shamim Khan 64, 3. Dipankar Kaushal 66, Vikrant Chopra & Mukesh Kumar (all 66), 6. K. Prabagaran, Sujjan Singh, Sunit Chowrasia, Akshay Sharma, Badal Hossain, Pawan Kumar (all 67).