Seongnam, Korea, 03-05-2018
Ajeetesh Sandhu hits the front in opening round of GS Caltex Maekyung Open
Shiv Kapur is tied fifth
India’s Ajeetesh Sandhu emerged as the first round leader after he returned a four-under-67 to take a one-shot lead at the 37th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship in Korea on Thursday.
Sandhu continued to showcase the strength of Indian golf with a performance that threatens to break the Korean stronghold at the event which has not been won by a foreign player since Mark Calcavecchia of the United States lifted the prestigious trophy in 2004.
The Korean trio of Heungchol Joo, Lee Dong Ha and Jae Bum Park stayed close to Sandhu when they signed for matching 68s at the Namseoul Country Club which is welcoming back players from the Asian Tour for the first time since 2009.
India’s Shiv Kapur was a further shot back from the Koreans after he posted a two-under-69 at the KRâ‚©1,000,000,000 (approx. US$925,000) event.
Fresh off a top-10 finish in Japan a fortnight ago, Sandhu believes the recent success of his compatriots has motivated him to do better too.
After firing four birdies on his front-nine, the 29-year-old had to battle the elements when play resumed. He showed character by recovering quickly after dropping shots on 14 and 16 with birdies on 15 and 17 to sit atop the leaderboard on his own.
Ajeetesh, who earned his breakthrough win on the Asian Tour at the 2017 Yeangder TPC in Chinese Taipei, said, “The conditions were tough today. It was cold and windy in the beginning and then the rain came. I would have taken four-under at the beginning of the day and I’m happy with that. Only 18 holes done but I’m happy with the way I’m playing.
“I played well in Japan but didn’t feel so good in China last week. I guess that happens in golf and you just got to look forward. I’m feeling good about my game and look forward to the next few days.
“We Indians have been having a really good run recently and that just goes to show how strong our domestic Tour (PGTI) has become. If you’re playing well there, it’s pretty easy to make the step up to the international level and it’s great to see so many of my compatriots doing well. It just spurs each other on.”
Among the other Indians, Chikkarangappa and Gaganjeet Bhullar were both tied 33rd with scores of 72, while Jeev Milkha Singh was lying tied 70th after posting a 74. Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa occupied tied 88th at 75 and Khalin Joshi was tied 101st at 76.
Source: Asian Tour
About PGTI:
Formed in 2006, Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) is the recognised official body of professional golf in India. PGTI's objective is to promote professional golf in the country, as well as to give players an opportunity to be involved in the decision making on all aspects of the game. Headed by Mr. Srinivasan H R (President), PGTI's governing body comprises leading Indian golf professionals. PGTI currently has over 300 members.
For information on PGTI, please contact:
Nikhil Kalaan
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