Local lad Vishesh Sharma was in scintillating form on day one of the inaugural Boulders Classic in his hometown of Hyderabad on Tuesday. Image courtesy DP World PGTI.
By Rahul Banerji
Hyderabad’s Vishesh Sharma set a scorching pace to lead the field after day one of the inaugural Rs 1 crore Boulders Classic at the Boulder Hills Golf & Country Club in his hometown on Tuesday.
Vishesh, 19, shot a 7 under par 65 for a one-shot lead that was also a new course record and featured an eagle on the par-5 14th, six birdies, and a lone bogey, the DP World PGTI said.
Star draw and two-time DP World Tour winner Shubhankar Sharma carded a 6 under 66 to share second place alongside Delhi’s Vinay Kumar Yadav.
The round marked Shubhankar’s first DP World PGTI start since the Tour Championship in Jamshedpur in December 2021.
Vishesh, who turned professional last year and finished 21st on the DP World PGTI Order of Merit, made the most of his familiarity with the venue to produce a standout round.
“I kept myself in play early on and focused on getting into good positions,” Vishesh, a 10th tee starter said later.
“The eagle on the 14th really gave me momentum. I hit a hybrid to about 10 feet there and made the putt, which helped me push on.”
Strong run
He capitalised on that momentum with a strong run, making five birdies in six holes after the turn. “I was able to take advantage of the opportunities I created and convert some good putts,” he added.
Vishesh also drew confidence from the setting. “It’s great to be playing in Hyderabad and staying at home for this event. Being familiar with the conditions definitely helps,” he said.
Shubhankar’s round included an eagle on the par-5 seventh, six birdies, and two bogeys.
“The course is in great shape and will only get tougher as the week goes on, especially with the wind and pin positions,” Shubhankar said.
“I had a good stretch in the middle of the round where I picked up shots, including the eagle, and that made the difference.”
“I finished well, and that always gives you confidence going into the next round.”
Thirty-year-old Yadav carded an error-free 66 and was a playoff winner at the DP World PGTI NexGen event at Golden Greens Golf & Country Club in Gurgaon last month.
Yuvraj Sandhu, one of the pre-tournament favourites, struck a 73 on day one to be placed tied 55th.
The starting field of 132 included 20 overseas players from 10 countries, the best-placed of whom was Czechia’s Stepan Danek in tied fourth alongside Hyderabad’s Mohd Azhar, Rashid Khan, Badal Hossain and Abhinav Lohan on 5 under 67.
Besides Vishesh and Azhar, the other Hyderabad-based professionals are Syed Safdar Hussain, S.N.L.G. Varam Raju, Sumit Kotwal and Anirudh Kamireddypalli.
Also read: Khalin Joshi scripts masterful victory at inaugural Andhra Open
Related
Discover more from Tee Time Tales
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.