Gurbaaz, Ikram hold the edge in Round 1 of Pre Qualifying III

By Rahul Banerji

Chandigarh’s Gurbaaz Mann and Delhi’s Ikramuddin Shah fired one-under-71s to lead after round one of the PGTI’s Pre Qualifying III for the 2019 season at the Kensville Golf & Country Club near Ahmedabad on Friday.

While Gurbaaz had an eagle, three birdies and four bogeys in his round, Ikramuddin collected two birdies against one bogey. The duo led the field by one shot.

Patna’s Md Islam and Gurgaon-based amateur Manav Bais were in tied third with level-par-72s.

Of a total field of 80, the top 22 players plus ties qualify from the ongoing 36-hole event, for the Final Qualifying Stage.

Lahiri opens year with sub-par round

Anirban Lahiri launched his 2019 campaign with a two-under par round of 68 and shared 29th place at the Sony Open in Hawaii on Thursday.

Lahiri, who retained his PGA Tour card last year despite a modest season, had five birdies against three bogeys in his first competitive round of the year.

Canadian Adam Svensson, 25, who came into the PGA Tour after a successful web.com Tour season in 2018 that included a win in the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic, opened with a nine-under 61 ahead of Andrew Putnam (62) and Matt Kuchar (63).

Big gains

Svensson finished with a 10-foot birdie putt and also had an eagle in his opening round.

“I really do think the Web has helped me a lot just with nerves and know how to play the game pretty much, how to get around, how to score, stuff like that,” he said later.

“It’s huge. The Web … obviously traveling to different countries and just getting to know what have to do each week.

“Winning on the Web.com Tour is extremely hard because you have go so low. I think that mentality out on the PGA Tour is the great thing to have.”

Up and down

Lahiri hit seven of 14 fairways but found only six of 18 greens in regulation. He had two birdies and as many bogies in his outbound nine holes to make the turn in level par 35.

Though he was to drop one more shot, Lahiri picked up three birdies to sit in a clutch of 23 in tied 29^th place.

Jordan Spieth opened his year looking rusty and had to wait till his 16th hole for his first gained shot.

A cold putter through the round denied him any further gains while Justin Thomas, who set the PGA Tour’s 72-hole record at the Sony Open two years ago, opened with a 67 by playing the last five holes in level par – a odd combination of one birdie, three bogeys and an eagle.

Also read: Anirban, Sadhguru attend foundation fund-raiser at Oxford Golf Resort