The Hindu : Sport / Golf : Randhawa begins campaign in style

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Friday, Sep 17, 2010
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Sport - Golf

Randhawa begins campaign in style

Special Correspondent

GURGAON: Jyoti Randhawa began his campaign for a third DLF Masters golf title in four years on a confident note when he fired the day's best score of five-under 67 for a one-stroke lead at the DLF Golf and Country course here on Thursday.

Breathing down Randhawa's neck were defending champion Gaganjit Bhullar, youngster Himmat Singh Rai and Karamjit Singh Sandhu, following rounds of 68.

The course played true throughout the day that saw showers make a brief appearance. The greens were holding well and those who took time to putt got better with every hole.

In all, the scores were on expected lines with Randhawa back on his home course and looking to play to his reputation.

Starting from the 10th hole, Randhawa straightway produced a good save after hitting his third shot, a 9-iron, for a ‘given' par. With his confidence up, he birdied the 12th hole but that stood negated immediately by a bogey on the 13th.

Thereafter, Randhawa did not put a foot wrong all day. He had a hat-trick of birdies, which he completed on the first hole, and picked up two more shots on his way home.

Himmat, too, was consistent as he found 17 greens in regulation and shot five birdies, including a 15-footer on the fifth hole. Like Randhawa, Himmat also started from the 10th and hit the ball very well. Himmat found four birdies during the flawless back-nine. Initially, he did leave a few putts short but thereafter, his reading of the greens never let him down. Sandhu, playing on his home course, was the only performer to exceed expectations on this day. His flawless back-nine, including three of his six birdies, did the trick.

The results: Jyoti Randhawa 67; Himmat Singh Rai, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Karanjit Singh Sandhu 68; S.S.P. Chowrasia, Rahil Gangjee, Vinod Kumar, Digvijay Singh 69; Ashok Kumar, Anirban Lahiri, Shankar Das, Gaurav Pratap Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Chirag Kumar 70; Ranjit Singh Rathore, Sujjan Singh and Dinesh Kumar 71 .

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