The Hindu : Sport / Golf : Ghei, Mann among six leaders

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Friday, Oct 12, 2007
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Sport - Golf

Ghei, Mann among six leaders

Rakesh Rao

GOLF / Four overseas players in joint lead

— Photo: Sandeep Saxena

LOOKING GOOD: India’s Gurbaaz Mann takes a bunker shot.

NEW DELHI: After 12 seasons, a half-a-million-dollar golf event was taking place in India and Gaurav Ghei quickly reminded those at the Delhi Golf Club here that his hunger was still as much as it was when he pulled off that memorable 60-foot chip-putt to script a sensational finish to the $500,000 Gadgil Western Masters in 1995.

On Thursday, the opening day of the $500,000 Hero Honda Masters, Ghei overcame a nagging stiff neck to collar the course with a bogey-free six-under 66 before being joined by Chandigarh’s Gurbaaz Mann and four others at the top of the leaderboard.

Mann power

If 39-year-old Ghei had to use all his experience to come up with a bogey-free card, Mann powered his way to a similar score in spite of an early bogey. In keeping with his reputation of being one of the longest hitters in the country, Mann drove well and putted even better to keep up the home challenge.

The overseas leaders were Korea’s 19-year-old rookie Hur In- Hoi, Thailand’s in-form Chapchai Nirat, Australia’s David Gleeson and Malaysia’s Danny Chia.

Nirat, the stocky bachelor who played in the company of Jyoti Randhawa, could have well emerged as the sole leader had he not missed a few birdie opportunities on the back-nine. Randhawa carded a 70 after needing an extra putt on the 16th and surviving a wayward tee-shot on the 18th hole, but Jeev Milkha Singh dropped two shots over the last three holes for a 72. Since the projected ‘cut’ is expected to be around 144, Jeev will have to come up with an improved showing on Friday to stay in the field.

On a day when the fairways held firm and the greens played true, 51 players broke par. There were six Indians in the top 13 and nine in the top 21. Among the amateurs, Jasjeet Singh led with a 68.

The scores (Indians unless stated): Gaurav Ghei, Gurbaaz Mann, Hur In-Hoi (Kor), Chapchai Nirat (Tha), David Gleeson (Aus) and Danny Chia (Mas) 66 each; Jasjeet Singh (A), Lu Wen The (Tpe), S.S.P. Chowrasia, Shamim Khan, Ashok Kumar , Martin Rominger (Sui) and Chang Tse-Peng (Tpe) 68 each; Mohammad Islam, Rahul Ganapathy, Muhammed Munir (Pak), Zaw Moe (Myn), Chiragh Kumar, Olle Nordberg (Swe), Ross Bain (Sco) and Bryan Saltus (USA) 69 each; Rahul Bakshi (A), Yusuf Ali, Mardan Mamat (Sin), Chinarat Phadungsil (Tha), Mars Pucay (Phi), Wisut Artjanawat (Tha), Jyoti Randhawa, Unho Park (Aus), Peter Senior (Aus), Uttam Singh Mundy, Lam Chih Bing (Sin), Jochen Lupprian (Ger) and Atthaphon Prathummanee (Tha) 70 each.

Other Indians (with sub-par or par scores): Harinder Gupta, Amardip Malik, Rahil Gangjee, Firoz Ali, Harmeet Kahlon, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Simarjeet Singh (A) 71 each; Randhir Ghotra, Jeev Milkha Singh, Vijay Kumar and Gagan Verma (A) 72 each.

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