India’s S. Chikka scored three-under 69 to lie one stroke behind co-leaders Thai Thitiphun Chuayprakong and Sri Lankan N. Thangaraja midway through the first round of the $400,000 Panasonic Open India at the Delhi Golf Club on Thursday. (Read More in Golf)
Chikka, who last week won the India Masters on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), got four birdies on the first, 11th, 12th and 16th holes against a bogey on the par-four sixth for an opening 69 that gave him a share of third place alongside Sri Lankan Anura Ruhana and Niall Turner of Ireland.
Thangaraja, starting from the 10th hole, had a tough beginning. He got a bogey on the 13th hole along with a birdie on the 18th. The birdie gave him the momentum as he rode on birdies on the first, third, sixth, seventh and eighth against a lone blemish on the fourth in the back-nine for a 68.
“The conditions weren’t the easiest. It started raining soon after I began my round. I endured a tough first-nine. I was unfortunate on the 13th where my approach landed on the edge but rolled back into the bunker. I started turning it around from the 18th where a brilliant chip left me a tap-in birdie,” Thangaraja said.
Co-leader Thitiphun had five birdies and a lone bogey for a 68.
Among others Indians in the fray, Chiragh Kumar was three-under 33 after nine holes while Deepinder Singh Kullar, Mukesh Kumar, Shubhankar Sharma, Rahil Gangjee, C. Munniyappa shared seventh spot after scoring matching 70s.
