Solid start for Himmat, Chowrasia at Black Mountain Masters

HUA HIN - India’s Himmat Rai, fighting for his 2011 Asian Tour card, took advantage of excellent golfing conditions in the first round of the Black Mountain Masters to land eight birdies enroute to a six-under 66.

Rai was tied fourth one shot behind the leading trio Tetsuji Hiratsuka and Daisuke Maruyama of Japan, and Filipino Angelo Que, who had 65 each.

Rai was fourth with five others, while another six players, including Indias SSP Chowrasia, were at five-under 67. It was neither hot nor windy at the picture-perfect Black Mountain Golf Course in this seaside resort town.

Shiv Kapur fought back from three-over on front nine to one-over 73 for the day, while Anirban Lahiri (73), too, missed out many chances.

The Delhi-based 23-year-old Rai, one of the rising stars of Indian golf, while being consistent has not been able to string together his maiden Asian Tour win. This year he has had three top-20 finishes on Asian Tour and three second places on Indian Tour.

“I have been consistent on Asian and Indian Tours. Today my hitting was good, I found a lot of greens and most importantly I holed the putts,” said Rai, currently 75th on the Money List. A top-five could get him the card for 2011.

“I bogeyed the first as I was not sure of the speed of the greens and left it too short,” said Rai. “After that I was fine. On the 13th I went into the water hazard. I took my medicine for a bogey. On the last three I holed good putts and had three (birdies) in a row.” Earlier he had three in a row from fourth to sixth.

“The card is on my mind, but I am taking it like another tournament,” added Rai, whose best on Asian Tour is third place in 2009 Iskandar Johor Open.

Chowrasia, who won the Emaar Masters a co-sanctioned event on Asian and European Tours in 2008, had six weeks ago pulled himself up from nowhere to gain conditional status in Europe with a top-10 finish at Andalucia Masters in Spain in October.

Chowrasia, who celebrates his first wedding anniversary Dec 22 added: “I am feeling good. It would be nice to mark it (anniversary) with a good finish.” Or a win? “There is still three more days to go.”

Chowrasia’s 67 included back-to-back bogeys on 11th and 12th. “I had seven birdies, some of them with good chip-putts. The bogey on 11th was because I did not realise we were playing from a tee much ahead than what was used in Pro-Am. I overshot the green. But I made a chip-putt for a bogey,” said Chowrasia.

This year Chowrasia made almost half of this years money on the European Tour from one single top-10 finish at the Andalucia Masters, where he picked up Euros 67,200.

“That gave me a conditional card as I was about 132nd or 133rd on the Money List. I will get a few starts and I will give Europe a shot but I will also play in Asia,” said Chowrasia.

After a first nine 35, Hiratsuka, who started on the tenth, closed with four birdies in a row for a stunning six-under 30 on the front nine that saw him hole seven birdies and give away one bogey.

Que had two eagles, first on the 13th and then again on sixth. He had four other birdies and one bogey.

With Hiratsuka and Que was Maruyama, one of the very few players to remain bogey free Thursday. He had one eagle and five birdies, including in last four holes in his 67.

In tied fourth with Rai were Lee Sung Man of Korea, Chapchai Nirat and Atthaphon Prathummanee of Thailand, Anthony Kang of US and Simon Griffiths of England.

Last weeks winner and Asias most successful player Thongchai Jaidee shot a 68 and was tied for 16th.