Eagleton Golf Resort, Bangalore, 02-07-2013
Gangjee, Thind & Prabagaran in three-way lead in round one
Rahil Gangjee of Kolkata, Arshpreet Thind of Gurgaon and Sri Lanka’s K Prabagaran fired scores of four-under-68 to share the lead in round one of the PGTI Eagleburg Open being played at Eagleton – The Golf Resort near Bangalore. Mukesh Kumar of Mhow, Lucknow’s Sanjay Kumar, Jaipur-based Vishal Singh and Delhi golfer Kapil Kumar are in tied fourth, one stroke off the lead.
Arshpreet Thind had an ideal start to the tournament as he found the par-5 10th green in two shots and subsequently two-putted for birdie. He then converted a 10-footer for birdie on the 14th. Another birdie followed for Arshpreet on the 15th before his first bogey of the day on the 16th that came as a result of a missed chip-putt. Thind, who so far has two top-10s to his credit in professional golf, sank putts from 25 feet and 15 feet for birdies on the fifth and ninth respectively.
Thind said, “It was one of my best putting days in recent memory. I made 17 regulations and thereby set up lots of birdie opportunities for myself. I felt I had a good conversion rate with five birdies from 17 regulations. The greens on this course have lot of slopes therefore one needs to land the ball on the right side of the greens in order to score well. I managed to do that today.
“I think my marriage few months back has brought stability to my life which also reflects in my game,” added the 30-year-old Thind, twirling his recently-grown handlebar moustache.
Rahil Gangjee produced a bogey-free 68 to be the joint leader on day one. Playing his first ever competitive round at Eagleton, Gangjee produced a terrific approach shot from 100 yards on the sixth that landed within eight feet of the pin and led to a birdie. He hit the green in two on the par-5 10th to pick up another birdie. The 12th saw Rahil hole a massive 35-feet birdie putt, while on the 14th he converted a downhill curling 12-feet birdie putt.
“I’ve been in good touch recently, having posted a top-5 finish on the PGTI last week. The conditions were easier in the morning as it was not too windy unlike the practice round. I kept the ball in play and hit most of the greens. I was never in a position where I had to struggle for par. I putted well through the day,” said Gangjee.
Prabagaran, a 10th tee starter, had five birdies against a lone bogey. He dropped a bogey on the 11th thanks to a missed chip-putt but negated that with a solid chip-putt for birdie on the 15th. The 32-year-old with two top-10s on the PGTI this year, collected birdies on the second and eighth after landing his shots within three feet on both occasions. Prabagaran also sank a couple of 12-footers for birdies on the fifth and seventh holes.
“I putted well and also hit it close on a few occasions. I’ve played at this course as an amateur and done reasonably well. The experience of playing here in the past helped me today,” said Prabagaran, currently placed 19th on the Rolex Rankings.
Mukesh Kumar, Sanjay Kumar, Vishal Singh and Kapil Kumar shot scores of three-under-69 to be placed tied fourth.
Among the Bangalore-based professionals, C Muniyappa was the highest placed in tied eighth as he carded a 70. Abhishek Jha, M Dharma and Chikkarangappa S returned scores of 72 to be placed tied 25th. Anirban Lahiri’s 73 placed him tied 39th.
The bone-crushing handshake
Besides being one of the strongest-built players on the PGTI, the 6 foot 3 inch tall Arshpreet Thind is also known for his fearsome bone-crushing handshake. Most fellow professionals on the tour think twice before shaking hands with the burly golfer. A handshake with Thind leaves many feeling their bones have been crushed, even though it may be a gentle squeeze for Thind himself.
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. Kapil Dev (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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