Gujarat Open Day one leader Manu Gandas in action at the Glade One course in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. Image courtesy PGTI.
By Rahul Banerji
Manu Gandas drew inspiration from his previous victory at the venue to lead the field with an error-free 5 under par 31 on day one of the Glade One presents Gujarat Open in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
Season-opening event winner Yuvraj Sandhu of Chandigarh and Om Prakash Chouhan of Mhow shared second place on 2 under 32s at the Glade One Golf Resort and Club.
Karnal’s Rohit Narwal and Hyderabad-based Mohd Azhar were tied fourth on 3 under 33, the PGTI said.
Defending champion Abhinav Lohan returned a two-under 34 to be placed tied sixth.
The event’s first two rounds comprise nine holes each after which the cut will be applied.
The third and fourth rounds will then be played over 18 holes each and the tournament restricted to 54 holes.
High success
Gurgaon’s Gandas hit fairways at will on Tuesday to create several birdie opportunities at a venue where he has seen success in the past.
The eight-time PGTI winner sank three birdies from long-range including a 30-footer on the closing ninth. He also landed within three feet of the pin twice for birdies, one of them from the bunker.
“It was a solid day for me as I missed just one fairway,” Gandas said later.
“My putting was also on the mark. I created a lot of chances with my consistent hitting. I have good memories of this course having won here in 2022 and feel quite at home playing at Glade One.
“After a slow start to the season last week in Kolkata where my game was not at its best, I needed a good opening round this week. I’m glad I stuck to my game plan and got a good score to set a foundation to build on further.”
Ahmedabad’s Varun Parikh was the best placed among the local professionals with a level par 36 to be tied 36th.
Also read: Yuvraj Sandhu completes wire-to-wire Players win at The Tolly
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