Sport - Golf

Rafick, Lehal share lead

CHENNAI: Kolkata’s Rafick Ali Mollah and A.S. Lehal of Chandigarh carded five under 65 each to emerge joint leaders on the opening day of the Tamil Nadu Open golf championship at the Madras Gymkhana annexe here on Wednesday.

Delhi’s Vikrant Chopra, who came up with four under 66, is one stroke behind the leaders in third position. Local hope Sandeep Syal is tied at 14th place with six others, at two under 68.

Rafick’s 65 featured six birdies and one bogey. Rafick picked up a hat-trick of birdies on the 12th, 13th and 14th. On the 12th, however, he missed a four-foot putt for eagle.

The 39-year-old missed a three-foot putt for par on the 16th hole — the bogey was the only blemish on his card. On the front nine, Rafick had birdies on the third, sixth and seventh.

“It’s been a highly satisfactory day for me. My best moments came on the 12th and the sixth holes. A lot depends on putting on this course and one needs to make maximum greens in regulation to stay in contention,” observed Rafick.

Lehal had a bogey on the third but made up with a birdie on the seventh to make the turn at even par. Lehal had an excellent back nine as he birdied the 10th, 12th, 13th, 16th and 17th.

Lehal said his best effort was the approach shot on the 12th hole. “The shot set up a six-foot putt for eagle and a chip-in for birdie from the front edge of the 17th green,” he said.

Mhow golfer Mukesh Kumar fired three under 67 to occupy tied fourth place along with nine others.C.V. Yudhvir and Tarun Veeraraghavan (both two over 72) were the highest placed amateurs in tied 48th place.

The scores: Rafick Ali Mollah, A.S. Lehal 65 (-5); Vikrant Chopra 66; Sheeraz Kalra, R. Srinivas, Shiv Prakash, Vivek Bhandari, Ali Sher, Ramesh Kumar, Mukesh Kumar, Shankar Das, Praduman Singh Guleria, Kunal Bhasin (all 67).

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