Sanjay tied second on a good first day for home golfers

NEW DELHI - Sanjay Kumar led the home challenge on the first day of the Hero Honda Indian Open golf tournament with a strong start that saw him card a 68 for a tied second place at the Delhi Golf Club Thursday.

That card may well have been even better and given him a share of the lead but for his sole bogey on the 10th.

The last group to tee off from the first, Sanjay finished in fading light, but stayed steady.

“It was good and I was feeling confident from the start, said Sanjay, who has been a pro for 23 years - from 1987 - and won a few times on the Indian PGTI tour.

South Koreas Kim Hyung-sung made it a memorable first visit to the $1.25 million Hero Honda Indian Open by taking the first round lead with a flawless five-under-par 67.

The 30-year-old, who has struggled with a shoulder injury for most of the year, shot five birdies to lead by one from Asian Tour newcomers Namchok Tantipokakul of Thailand and South Koreas Baek Seuk-hyun, Australias Marcus Both and in-form South African Jbe Kruger.

Chandigarh’s Ranjit Singh brought in a fine card of 69, after teeing off in the last group from the tenth.

The fading light did not bother me. I missed just one green and that cost me a bogey, said Ranjit.

Shamim Khan and Ashok Kumar, two products of this very course, also shot 69 each and were tied seventh with Ranjit and Hwang In-Choon of Korea.

Ill just go out to play good golf. If I can play good golf, I will have a chance. Im number one on the Indian Tour, Ive won four times this season and I shot 20 under par in my last tournament. So my confidence is good. I hope this continues, said Ashok.

Five Indians - Manav Jaini, Chiragh Kumar, Himmat Rai, Gaurav Pratap Singh and Mukesh Kumar - were at tied 11th. Old warhorses Ali Sher, champion at the 1991 and 1993 editions at the same course, and Firoze Ali, winner of the Indian Open in Kolkata in 1998, also gave a glimpse of old skills with rounds of one-under 71 each and were tied 21st alongside Ryder Cup star Paul McGinley of Ireland, Shiv Kapur, another DGC product, and the 2005 champion Thaworn Wiratchant.

Twelve Indians shot under-par and another six, including three-time champion Jyoti Randhawa, the 2002 champion Vijay Kumar and pro debutant Rashid Khan, were at par.