Grillo stays in the lead #HIO2018
New Delhi, India, March 9: Emiliano Grillo of Argentina continued his brilliant form and carded a second-round four-under-par 68 to take the clubhouse lead at the US$1.75 million Hero Indian Open on Friday.
The 25-year-old, who started on the 10th hole, got off to a great start with consecutive birdies on holes 11 and 12. Grillo scored three more birdies and one bogey before ending his round at the Gary Player layout of the DLF Golf and Country Club.
As it stands, Grillo leads by four shots on 11-under-par 133 over India’s Shubhankar Sharma at the 54th Hero Indian Open, which is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour.
Shubhankar Sharma of India
Sharma brought his tournament winning form into his National Open, carding nine birdies and one bogey to sign for a course-record-breaking 64. The two-time Asian Tour champion was sensational over the back nine, where he overcame the challenging course set up to sink six birdies.
The 21-year-old turned his tournament around dramatically after carding five-over-par on his opening nine holes yesterday.
Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal (71) and England’s Andrew Johnston (66) are a shot behind Sharma in tied-third, while four golfers, including South Africa’s Keith Horne (73) and Thailand’s Panuphol Pittayarat (70) are currently in tied-fifth on 139.
Habitat for Humanity ambassador Casey O’Toole shot 66, one of the lowest scores of the day. The American is currently in tied-ninth, along with Asian Tour members Jeunghun Wang (71), Khalin Joshi (68), Sihwan Kim (70) and Paul Peterson (73).
Play was suspended due to darkness. Eight players will return on Saturday morning, 7am, to complete round two. Round three will not start before 9.30am. The projected cut is three-over-par.
Did you know:
- Emiliano Grillo was Anirban Lahiri’s teammate at last year’s Presidents Cup. The Argentinean was selected by Nick Price as one of the captain’s pick.
- In the second round of the Hero Indian Open, he hit 12 out of 14 fairways as well as 16 out of 18 greens.
- Grillo turned professional when he was 19 years old.
- Shubhankar Sharma made the decision to turn professional when he was just 16 years old.
- He earned his Asian Tour card for the first time at the 2016 Qualifying School.
- Keith Horne first played on the Asian Tour in 2003. 2010 was his most fruitful year, when he earned US$181,961 to finish 14th on the Order of Merit.
- His best finish on the Asian Tour in 2017 was tied-second, at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters.
- Casey O’Toole is an ambassador for Habitat for Humanity, the official sustainable development partner of the Asian Tour.
- He scored the first hole-in-one on the Asian Tour this year, at the SMBC Singapore Open in January.
- Jeunghun Wang won his first Asian Tour title at the 2016 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
- He was selected as a captain’s pick by Jeev Milkha Singh for the 2016 EurAsia Cup.
- Gavin Green set the previous course record of 65 in 2017. Emiliano Grillo tied the record yesterday and Shubhankar Sharma broke the record today.
Player interviews:
Emiliano Grillo (Arg) Second Round 68 (-4), Total 133 (-11)
It was pretty similar to yesterday, although I made a few more birdie putts in round one. Today, I have also hit plenty of fairways and greens. I thought that I played the round very well. Hopefully, I can find my putter a bit more tomorrow, like how it was on day one and with that, I can keep climbing up the leaderboard.
It’ll be the same, which is to hit fairways and greens! I’ll have the same mentality whether I’m six shots ahead or behind.
Honestly, I wasn’t expecting it. When I practised on Tuesday and played the pro-am on Wednesday, I was telling myself that I’ll be in a good position if I can just shoot under par every day. Hopefully, I can keep my form going. I’ve done well over the past two days and I can’t ask for more. Today, I hit some bad putts, but I think I’ll be fine.
I’m just going to work a bit more my putting and hit a few more drives. I’ll be looking to playing the weekend rounds like how I did in rounds one and two.
Shubhankar Sharma (Ind) Second Round 64 (-8), Total 137 (-7)
Today’s round will definitely rank up there as one of my most significant achievements, especially when it is played at this course. This is a tough course and it is not easy to go low here. I’m very happy with the way I played. I shot a few low numbers in my career and this one is right in my top five.
I know I had to get a good start. I normally try to do as best as I can on the front nine. I did my best, but it was still two-under-par. But I was hitting it well, even though the back nine is tougher than the front nine, I knew I could still make birdies.
If you told me I would be seven-under-par going into the weekend after being five-over-par on my opening nine holes (10th to 18th) yesterday, I would just have laughed. To be able to bounce back is really important, I knew I was playing well and I had to push myself a little. In the morning, I told myself that I have momentum on my side. I just need to foot on the pedal and keep on going.
My highlights are all from the back nine. My second shot on the 10th, which landed about a foot from the hole, started it all. That was a very tough pin. The birdie putt on the 12th hole was huge as well.
I knew the course record is seven-under-par. To hold the record on my home course would be mean a lot to me. That was why, I decided to go for the green.
The crowd was fantastic. I always enjoy playing in front of the home crowd.
I’m just going to play the way that I’ve always been playing. I’m just going to have fun. I know I’m playing well and I have nothing to lose.
Keith Horne (Rsa) Second Round 73 (+1), Total 139 (-5)
Today was a bit of a struggle. I was a little tensed up over the first six holes. I loosened up after that, as I hit some good shots that unfortunately weren’t rewarded. I have also made a couple of mistakes. It has been an up-and-down day and I made a lot of saves to keep it going. It was a very different round compared to the first day.
For round one, I thought that I was in control. Today, it was a grind. I let a few chances go and at the same time, made a few chances. All in all, five-under-par after two days on this golf course is a good position to be in.
All the holes were very scary. I hit a good putt on the seventh hole today, which settled me down and got me back into the zone for the day. The fear does motivate me. You have to concentrate on every single shot, as a bad shot can spell disaster. You tend to focus a lot. The challenge is to find a balance while you are out there.
Casey O’Toole (Usa) Second Round 66 (-6), Total 140 (-4)
I played really well yesterday, but let the round get away from me a little bit. Today, I played solid again. I hit a lot of really good shots. I’m very pleased for my first two rounds.
The conditions were quite calm today, similar to yesterday. I just thought that I played solid and minimised mistakes. I didn’t get into a lot of bad spots. I also think that my short game saved me on many occasions, which is good to see as I’ve been working very hard on that aspect of my game. My short game has really been the difference.
At hole four, I hit a good drive, followed by a hybrid that landed about four feet from the hole. I then sunk the putt for eagle. That was a bonus there. I was just trying to hit it into the bunker or just beside of the green, then do a chip-and-putt.
I’m very honoured and happy to be asked as an ambassador for Habitat for Humanity. In fact, this week after the tournament on Monday, we’ll be meeting the families that the organisation has helped. I’m really looking forward to it.
Jeunghun Wang (Kor) Second Round 71 (-1), Total 140 (-4)
The pin positions today were more challenging compared to yesterday. I think I hit the ball badly and I wasn’t putting as well as I wanted to. I three-putted at holes seven and eight, which was disappointing. However, despite my putting woes, I am very happy with a one-under-par today. Hopefully, I can play better tomorrow.
For this course, I think the approach is to defend. It’s narrow, with hazards all around. The greens are tough, too. I’ll just try to avoid making bogeys.
I remembered the fourth hole, where it’s always challenging. But I found out that if you adopt a safety-first strategy, you can make birdies, which was what I did.
Scores after round 2 of the Hero Indian Open 2018 being played at the par 72, 7379 Yards DLF GcC course (am – denotes amateur):
133 – Emiliano GRILLO (ARG) 65-68.
137 – Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) 73-64.
138 – Pablo LARRAZABAL (ESP) 67-71, Andrew JOHNSTON (ENG) 72-66.
139 – Matt WALLACE (ENG) 69-70, Keith HORNE (RSA) 66-73, Jens DANTORP (SWE) 69-70, Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) 69-70.
140 – Sebastien GROS (FRA) 69-71, Joost LUITEN (NED) 71-69, Marc WARREN (SCO) 68-72, Jeunghun WANG (KOR) 69-71, Casey O’TOOLE (USA) 74-66, Khalin JOSHI (IND) 72-68, Paul PETERSON (USA) 67-73, Sihwan KIM (USA) 70-70.
141 – Jamie DONALDSON (WAL) 71-70.
142 – Gavin GREEN (MAS) 69-73, Hideto TANIHARA (JPN) 74-68, Thomas BJORN (DEN) 70-72, James MORRISON (ENG) 70-72, Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 69-73, CHAN Shih-chang (TPE) 71-71, Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR) 69-73.
143 – Matthias SCHWAB (AUT) 71-72, Jinho CHOI (KOR) 72-71, Wade ORMSBY (AUS) 71-72, Stephen GALLACHER (SCO) 72-71, Edoardo MOLINARI (ITA) 71-72.
144 – Ajeetesh SANDHU (IND) 68-76, Anthony WALL (ENG) 71-73, Clement SORDET (FRA) 72-72.
145 – Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 72-73, Anirban LAHIRI (IND) 72-73, Adrien SADDIER (FRA) 67-78, David GLEESON (AUS) 75-70, Ashley CHESTERS (ENG) 74-71, Steven BROWN (ENG) 74-71, Darren CLARKE (NIR) 72-73, Gregory HAVRET (FRA) 73-72, Yikeun CHANG (KOR) 73-72.
Ends.
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Emiliano Grillo (Arg) Second Round 68 (-4), Total 133 (-11)
It was pretty similar to yesterday, although I made a few more birdie putts in round one. Today, I have also hit plenty of fairways and greens. I thought that I played the round very well. Hopefully, I can find my putter a bit more tomorrow, like how it was on day one and with that, I can keep climbing up the leaderboard.
It’ll be the same, which is to hit fairways and greens! I’ll have the same mentality whether I’m six shots ahead or behind.
Honestly, I wasn’t expecting it. When I practised on Tuesday and played the pro-am on Wednesday, I was telling myself that I’ll be in a good position if I can just shoot under par every day. Hopefully, I can keep my form going. I’ve done well over the past two days and I can’t ask for more. Today, I hit some bad putts, but I think I’ll be fine.
I’m just going to work a bit more my putting and hit a few more drives. I’ll be looking to playing the weekend rounds like how I did in rounds one and two.
Shubhankar Sharma (Ind) Second Round 64 (-8), Total 137 (-7)
Today’s round will definitely rank up there as one of my most significant achievements, especially when it is played at this course. This is a tough course and it is not easy to go low here. I’m very happy with the way I played. I shot a few low numbers in my career and this one is right in my top five.
I know I had to get a good start. I normally try to do as best as I can on the front nine. I did my best, but it was still two-under-par. But I was hitting it well, even though the back nine is tougher than the front nine, I knew I could still make birdies.
If you told me I would be seven-under-par going into the weekend after being five-over-par on my opening nine holes (10th to 18th) yesterday, I would just have laughed. To be able to bounce back is really important, I knew I was playing well and I had to push myself a little. In the morning, I told myself that I have momentum on my side. I just need to foot on the pedal and keep on going.
My highlights are all from the back nine. My second shot on the 10th, which landed about a foot from the hole, started it all. That was a very tough pin. The birdie putt on the 12th hole was huge as well.
I knew the course record is seven-under-par. To hold the record on my home course would be mean a lot to me. That was why, I decided to go for the green.
The crowd was fantastic. I always enjoy playing in front of the home crowd.
I’m just going to play the way that I’ve always been playing. I’m just going to have fun. I know I’m playing well and I have nothing to lose.
Pablo Larrazabal (ESP) Second Round 67 (-5), Total 138 (-6)
I played great. The front nine I played great golf. I put myself in a lot of birdie chances. The tee shots on ten and 11 were a little unexpected. I probably lost a bit of concentration on the tenth. When you have a bad swing on this golf course with the next swing you make you never know what will happen.
The pins on the back nine were very tough and the wind – there’s not a lot of wind but it’s switching around all the time. To hit to those little spots that the flag is in, it’s very tough to put it close. A good example was 17. I hot one of the best shots of the day and ended up with an impossible up and down to make. You have to take it. This is the toughest golf course we play. Red numbers are awesome.
Patience is key. Big time. You don’t see too much wind out there but it’s switching. Three or four meters makes a lot of difference in this golf course. You have to keep patient. When you don’t hit a great shot and you have a 20 or 30 foot putt, you try to hit a good putt. Go to the next, make pars and try to use the par fives to your advantage, try to make birdies there. To finish under par is great.
It’s not the same going in six behind or five behind the leader. We all know that Grillo is a super, top-class player. He should be in the top 20 in the world. He doesn’t know how good he is. I like to go and play against the best in the world and he is one. I’m ready for the challenge.
The golf course will be at least one or two shots tougher over the weekend. There are some tough flags out there and they will move a couple of tees back. I’m ready for the challenge. I love the challenge. I love to go over the weekend and attack this tough golf courses and see what’s going on.
Keith Horne (Rsa) Second Round 73 (+1), Total 139 (-5)
Today was a bit of a struggle. I was a little tensed up over the first six holes. I loosened up after that, as I hit some good shots that unfortunately weren’t rewarded. I have also made a couple of mistakes. It has been an up-and-down day and I made a lot of saves to keep it going. It was a very different round compared to the first day.
For round one, I thought that I was in control. Today, it was a grind. I let a few chances go and at the same time, made a few chances. All in all, five-under-par after two days on this golf course is a good position to be in.
All the holes were very scary. I hit a good putt on the seventh hole today, which settled me down and got me back into the zone for the day. The fear does motivate me. You have to concentrate on every single shot, as a bad shot can spell disaster. You tend to focus a lot. The challenge is to find a balance while you are out there.
Casey O’Toole (Usa) Second Round 66 (-6), Total 140 (-4)
I played really well yesterday, but let the round get away from me a little bit. Today, I played solid again. I hit a lot of really good shots. I’m very pleased for my first two rounds.
The conditions were quite calm today, similar to yesterday. I just thought that I played solid and minimised mistakes. I didn’t get into a lot of bad spots. I also think that my short game saved me on many occasions, which is good to see as I’ve been working very hard on that aspect of my game. My short game has really been the difference.
At hole four, I hit a good drive, followed by a hybrid that landed about four feet from the hole. I then sunk the putt for eagle. That was a bonus there. I was just trying to hit it into the bunker or just beside of the green, then do a chip-and-putt.
I’m very honoured and happy to be asked as an ambassador for Habitat for Humanity. In fact, this week after the tournament on Monday, we’ll be meeting the families that the organisation has helped. I’m really looking forward to it.
Jeunghun Wang (Kor) Second Round 71 (-1), Total 140 (-4)
The pin positions today were more challenging compared to yesterday. I think I hit the ball badly and I wasn’t putting as well as I wanted to. I three-putted at holes seven and eight, which was disappointing. However, despite my putting woes, I am very happy with a one-under-par today. Hopefully, I can play better tomorrow.
For this course, I think the approach is to defend. It’s narrow, with hazards all around. The greens are tough, too. I’ll just try to avoid making bogeys.
I remembered the fourth hole, where it’s always challenging. But I found out that if you adopt a safety-first strategy, you can make birdies, which was what I did.
Khalin Joshi (Ind) Second Round 68 (-4), Total 140 (-4)
To go bogey-free on this course is extremely pleasing. My short-game was unreal today. I made all putts from a range of five feet. I also made some terrific par-saves from the bunker. I missed just one fairway.
My game has been in good shape so I just needed a solid game-plan heading into today’s round. I sat down with my coach Gaurav Dewan who is here this week and chalked out my game-plan. The plan was to play conservative and stay out of trouble. It worked well for me.
The chip from 55 feet on the second that landed within inches of the flag was my best par-save of the day. The birdie on the seventh was also special as I landed it within a foot of the pin.
Gavin Green (Mas) Second Round 73 (+1), Total 142 (-2)
Today wasn’t very good. There were too many big numbers on my scorecard. I didn’t hit it very well today, and I paid the price. I’ve made the weekend rounds and I still in with a chance, but I’ve got to work out my game, especially off the tees. I was put out of position after my drives. So, if I can sort that out, I should be fine.
The jet lag is still affecting me a little bit. I’m trying my best to fight it off. For sure, I’ll be taking a good rest today.
April 9: The Asian Tour stars will continue their search for glory at the inaugural US$300,000 Solaire Open at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club. AsianTour.com takes a look at the top contenders this week.
Baek Seuk-hyun (Kor)
Baek is the dark horse this season. He has two top-five finishes so far and is currently fifth on the Order of Merit with earnings of US$145,303. He believes he has the game to win a first Asian Tour event but needs to stay fit. He is slowly reaping the benefits of a fitness change earlier this year and has lost eight kilograms so far.
Order of Merit: 5th
Chawalit Plaphol (Tha)
Chawalit won the season-opening Zaykabar Myanmar Open and since then his best result was tied 34th at the Avantha Masters in India. After his victory in Myanmar, the lanky Thai said the goal is to continue winning, which he hopes to do so at the Solaire Open.
Order of Merit: 10th
Himmat Rai (Ind)
Himmat Rai of India
He was in contention at the Zaykabar Myanmar Open and Avantha Masters but eventually finished tied 13th and ninth respectively. He believes he is riding a hot form and is ready to contend for a second Asian Tour title since his maiden victory in 2011 in Singapore.
Order of Merit: 20th
Chinnarat Phadungsil (Tha)
Chinnarat set the stage alight when he shot an opening round 61 at the Avantha Masters in India before finishing tied 23rd. He is a three-time Asian Tour winner but not since 2009, something he hopes to change this week. The Thais have enjoyed great success on the Asian Tour this year and Chinnarat will be determined to join the party.
Order of Merit: 25th
Hu Mu (Chn)
His runner-up finish at the Chiangmai Golf Classic two weeks ago was his best result on the Asian Tour so far. It gave him the self-belief that he can take on the best players in the region and claim a first victory on the Asian Tour. He failed to earn an Asian Tour card at Qualifying School earlier this year but is making the most of his limited appearances.
Order of Merit: 27th
Scott Barr (Aus)
Scott made the cut in his last four appearances on the Asian Tour. He is motivated by the victories of his countrymen Scott Hend and Wade Ormsby who won in the last two Asian Tour events. He has yet to win on the Asian Tour but is one of the top favourites to finally land that elusive title.
Order of Merit 28th
New Delhi, India, March 8: Emiliano Grillo of Argentina carded an opening seven-under-par 65 to take the clubhouse lead at the US$1.75 million Hero Indian Open on Thursday.
After a birdie and a bogey at his opening two holes, the one-time PGA Tour winner racked up seven birdies before signing for a 65, which ties the course record at the Gary Player layout of the DLF Golf and Country Club.
Grillo, 76th on the Official World Golf Ranking, currently leads by two shots at the Hero Indian Open, which is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour
Paul Peterson of the United States
Paul Peterson of the United States carded a 67 for a share of second place along with Italy’s Matteo Manassero and Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal.
Peterson, who won his first Asian Tour title in Myanmar this year, had a near flawless round, carding six birdies against a lone bogey. The 29-year-old was pleased with how he bounced back with three consecutive birdies after dropping a shot at the sixth hole.
2017 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Green of Malaysia overcame jet lag to sign for a 69 and a share of ninth place. The 24-year-old, who played in Mexico last week, dropped three shots through five holes but recovered magnificently in the rest of his round with two eagles, three birdies and just one bogey.
Eight other players share ninth place, including Asian Tour players Nicholas Fung of Malaysia and Panuphol Pittayarat of Thailand.
Play was suspended due to darkness. 24 players will return on Friday morning, 7am, to complete round one.
Did you know:
- Emiliano Grillo ties the course record with a 65, which was set by Gavin Green in 2017.
- He won the 2016 Frys.com Open on the PGA Tour and the 2015 Web.com Tour Championship on the Web.com Tour.
- Grillo played at last year’s CIMB Classic in Malaysia and finished tied-54th.
- Paul Peterson won his maiden Asian Tour title this year at the LeoPalace21 Myanmar Open.
- Before Myanmar, Paul Peterson’s last win was in 2016 at the Czech Republic on the European Tour.
- The American took 69.58 strokes per round in 2017, which is the lowest stroke average on the Asian Tour.
- Peterson, a southpaw, earned his Tour Card at the 2014 Qualifying School. He went on to finish a credible 22nd on the Asian Tour Order of Merit that year.
- Pablo Larrazabal nearly missed his tee time. The tournament administrator had to call the hotel to wake him up.
- Gavin Green is the reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion. He is the first Malaysian in Asian Tour history to win the merit title.
- He finished second at last year’s Hero Indian Open, seven shots behind the champion.
- Green is the first amateur to win an Asian Development Tour (ADT) title following his victory in 2014. The ADT is the feeder circuit of the Asian Tour.
- Nicholas Fung won for the first time on the Asian Tour at the 2017 Queen’s Cup. He dedicated the victory to his father, who is a constant source of inspiration throughout his golf career.
- In 2012, Panuphol Pittayarat nearly forced a playoff with Richie Ramsay and Thaworn Wiratchant at the Hero Indian Open if not for a bogey at the last hole.
Player interviews:
Emiliano Grillo (Arg) First Round 65 (-7)
I almost had to play perfect golf out there. It’s a very difficult golf course. I’m very happy with the way I handled myself out there. It was very tough and I was able to make some good putts and hit the fairways when I needed to.
I had, I think, 26 putts and that helps anyone’s round out there. Hopefully I can keep rolling them in. I’ve just got to keep the ball in play, that’s what matters around here.
The par save on 15th was a rollercoaster. Then, on 16th, I got a little bit unlucky and hit the rocks on the bunker and it went pretty far on a bad lie. But I was able to make the putt coming back in there. It was very important to close with a birdie because I was playing very well going into the last hole. Just got to keep going.
You have no idea how difficult the course is. I shot seven-under-par, but I think anywhere else it would have been close to a 59. It was definitely a magnificent round of golf. Every tee shot, every second shot, you don’t want to miss it in the wrong place.
Paul Peterson (Usa) First Round 67 (-5)
I’m really happy with today’s round. Four-under-par was my goal today, so to one up that was nice. It felt like it was nice to get out in the morning. There was not much wind out there, and I felt like the pin locations were pretty accessible today. I have a feeling that they are not going to be as nice over the next three days. It was good to get out in front of that.
I made a bad swing there on the sixth hole. Then, to bounce back with three birdies to finish the day was big. It’s funny how sometimes a bogey can kind of catapult you to make a few coming in, so I was happy I was able to bounce back from that.
I’m still hitting a lot of greens, really happy with consistency from tee to green and I was able to roll in a couple of putts, so it was great.
It’s unbelievable (the course). Some of the tee boxes changed from last year as I remember. It just seems like even off the fairway it’s getting a little bit more brutal with some of the fescue grass that they have got. So, you just have to be in control of your golf ball and be really, really patient. I think that will be a good recipe.
It’s just good to start off with some momentum. To be able to carry that going into the next few days, I’m really happy to be in the spot that I’m at. I’m feeling confident with my game.
Pablo Larrazabal (Esp) First Round 67 (-5)
My lovely new iPhone went back to Spanish time overnight and I woke up at the hotel 38 minutes before my tee-time.
Thanks to Dorothée, the secretary of the European Tour, who called me in my room and said ‘Pablo, you’re playing in 38 minutes, you must wake up and go to the tenth tee’.
I woke up, had a ten-second shower and I ran and had a courtesy car waiting for me. I arrived at the course 25 minutes before my tee-time. My heart was pumping big time, I was very nervous. I think the courtesy car made a world record from the hotel to the golf course in a couple of minutes, a ride that can take ten or 15 minutes, it was really wild
I started with a birdie on 11 and then I four-putted 15, then birdied 16, 17 and 18 to shoot two-under-par on the back nine – that is very, very good. Then a three-putt on the first but I kept playing well and birdied four to eight, and then another three-putt on the ninth. One four-putt, two three-putts, nine birdies on this monster is quite unbelievable.
Gavin Green (Mas) First Round 69 (-3)
It was a pretty slow start of me. I’ve hit good tee shots, but I just didn’t good second shots. I got into the groove later in the round, after the birdied the sixth hole and eagled the eighth hole. That got me into a momentum a bit.
I hit good shots with my long iron. Throughout the round, I just kept the ball in play and didn’t do anything crazy. I’m just aiming to hit fairways and greens, and make putts. I made a 20-foot birdie at the 14th hole, which was satisfying.
At the 18th, I hit a good three wood, and then a good five wood; I just went for it. I’m happy with my round considering my jet lag. I flew in on Tuesday. I’ll just adopt the same approach tomorrow, hopefully with a more solid start.
Nicholas Fung (Mas) First Round 69 (-3)
We started early and I think that’s an advantage. I teed off at 7.30am, and there were no winds at all. I was just aiming to keep the ball in play all the time. It doesn’t matter if the approach shot is long. It is most important to keep your ball on in play here at this golf course.
I’ve hit it well and I’m happy with three-under-par. The holes from 14th to 18th are the most difficult and most important in many golfers’ opinion. I three putted and bogeyed the 14th, birdied the 15th, bogeyed the 16th and birdied the 18th. Overall, I played even-par for those five holes, which I think is good. The most important thing to do is to score on the front nine. Bogey is not a bad score, just don’t go beyond that.
Panuphol Pittayarat (Tha) First Round 69 (-3)
To score a three-under-par 69 here is very satisfying for me. And, to be bogey free anywhere is nice, especially here on this challenging golf course. I struck the ball well today. I also had two great up-and-downs on holes 14 and 16.
After winning the Indonesian Open last year, I’ve been playing golf with plenty of confidence. Right now, I’m just enjoying my game and looking to improve every aspect my game. Nothing has changed. I have the same routine, same practice and I’m still grinding every day.
I’ll be adopting the same approach tomorrow. I’ll just keep the ball in play and I’m not going to try anything too funky. It’s a “place” golf course. You have to place the ball in the right positions on the fairways and greens.
Scores after round 1 of the Hero Indian Open 2018 being played at the par 72, 7379 Yards DLF GcC course (am – denotes amateur):
65 – Emiliano GRILLO (ARG).
67 – Pablo LARRAZABAL (ESP), Matteo MANASSERO (ITA), Paul PETERSON (USA).
68 – Marc WARREN (SCO), Ajeetesh SANDHU (IND).
69 – Nicholas FUNG (MAS), Ricardo GOUVEIA (POR), Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA), Terry PILKADARIS (AUS), Sebastien GROS (FRA), Gavin GREEN (MAS), Shaun NORRIS (RSA), Matt WALLACE (ENG), Jeunghun WANG (KOR).
70 – Prayad MARKSAENG (THA), Thomas BJORN (DEN), James MORRISON (ENG), Sihwan KIM (USA).
71 – Jamie DONALDSON (WAL), Danthai BOONMA (THA), Edoardo MOLINARI (ITA), CHAN Shih-chang (TPE), Soomin LEE (KOR), Aaron RAI (ENG), Matthias SCHWAB (AUT), Joost LUITEN (NED), Wade ORMSBY (AUS), Arjun ATWAL (IND).
72 – Scott JAMIESON (SCO), Khalin JOSHI (IND), Andrew JOHNSTON (ENG), Darren CLARKE (NIR), Clement SORDET (FRA), Erik VAN ROOYEN (RSA), Kurt KITAYAMA (USA), Jarin TODD (USA), Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND), Jinho CHOI (KOR), Honey BAISOYA (IND), Prom MEESAWAT (THA), Daniel IM (USA), Anirban LAHIRI (IND), Ashun WU (CHN), Stephen GALLACHER (SCO), Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA).
73 – Oliver FISHER (ENG), Shubhankar SHARMA (IND), Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA), Lionel WEBER (FRA), Scott FERNANDEZ (ESP), Gregory HAVRET (FRA), Yikeun CHANG (KOR), Rattanon WANNASRICHAN (THA), Robert ROCK (ENG), Jason SCRIVENER (AUS), Marcus FRASER (AUS), Yashas CHANDRA (am, IND).
Ends.
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Emiliano Grillo (Arg) First Round 65 (-7)
I almost had to play perfect golf out there. It’s a very difficult golf course. I’m very happy with the way I handled myself out there. It was very tough and I was able to make some good putts and hit the fairways when I needed to.
I had, I think, 26 putts and that helps anyone’s round out there. Hopefully I can keep rolling them in. I’ve just got to keep the ball in play, that’s what matters around here.
The par save on 15th was a rollercoaster. Then, on 16th, I got a little bit unlucky and hit the rocks on the bunker and it went pretty far on a bad lie. But I was able to make the putt coming back in there. It was very important to close with a birdie because I was playing very well going into the last hole. Just got to keep going.
You have no idea how difficult the course is. I shot seven-under-par, but I think anywhere else it would have been close to a 59. It was definitely a magnificent round of golf. Every tee shot, every second shot, you don’t want to miss it in the wrong place.
Paul Peterson (Usa) First Round 67 (-5)
I’m really happy with today’s round. Four-under-par was my goal today, so to one up that was nice. It felt like it was nice to get out in the morning. There was not much wind out there, and I felt like the pin locations were pretty accessible today. I have a feeling that they are not going to be as nice over the next three days. It was good to get out in front of that.
I made a bad swing there on the sixth hole. Then, to bounce back with three birdies to finish the day was big. It’s funny how sometimes a bogey can kind of catapult you to make a few coming in, so I was happy I was able to bounce back from that.
I’m still hitting a lot of greens, really happy with consistency from tee to green and I was able to roll in a couple of putts, so it was great.
It’s unbelievable (the course). Some of the tee boxes changed from last year as I remember. It just seems like even off the fairway it’s getting a little bit more brutal with some of the fescue grass that they have got. So, you just have to be in control of your golf ball and be really, really patient. I think that will be a good recipe.
It’s just good to start off with some momentum. To be able to carry that going into the next few days, I’m really happy to be in the spot that I’m at. I’m feeling confident with my game.
Pablo Larrazabal (Esp) First Round 67 (-5)
My lovely new iPhone went back to Spanish time overnight and I woke up at the hotel 38 minutes before my tee-time.
Thanks to Dorothée, the secretary of the European Tour, who called me in my room and said ‘Pablo, you’re playing in 38 minutes, you must wake up and go to the tenth tee’.
I woke up, had a ten-second shower and I ran and had a courtesy car waiting for me. I arrived at the course 25 minutes before my tee-time. My heart was pumping big time, I was very nervous. I think the courtesy car made a world record from the hotel to the golf course in a couple of minutes, a ride that can take ten or 15 minutes, it was really wild.
I started with a birdie on 11 and then I four-putted 15, then birdied 16, 17 and 18 to shoot two-under-par on the back nine – that is very, very good. Then a three-putt on the first but I kept playing well and birdied four to eight, and then another three-putt on the ninth. One four-putt, two three-putts, nine birdies on this monster is quite unbelievable.
Ajeetesh Sandhu (Ind) First Round 68 (-4)
I could say today’s round was almost a dream round. My hitting was just amazing. I hit all fairways and made regulation on 17 out of 18 greens. We were a little lucky that the wind wasn’t up today otherwise this course can pose many more challenges.
I just missed a few putts out there but that wasn’t due to bad putting. There were a few lip-outs.
It’s just 18 holes done and a lot of golf is still to be played. So I’ll have to keep my thoughts in check since this golf course can come back and bite you at any moment. It’s a course that you can’t overpower. So the effort will be to continue in the same manner over the next three days by trying to find maximum fairways and greens.
I was very comfortable playing with Jeev as I’ve played a lot of golf with him in Chandigarh. I must admit that there was a little pressure at the start as this is my National Open, but Jeev’s presence in the same group helped calm me down.
Gavin Green (Mas) First Round 69 (-3)
It was a pretty slow start for me. I’ve hit good tee shots, but I just didn’t good second shots. I got into the groove later in the round, after the birdied the sixth hole and eagled the eighth hole. That got me into a momentum a bit.
I hit good shots with my long iron. Throughout the round, I just kept the ball in play and didn’t do anything crazy. I’m just aiming to hit fairways and greens, and make putts. I made a 20-foot birdie at the 14th hole, which was satisfying.
At the 18th, I hit a good three wood, and then a good five wood; I just went for it. I’m happy with my round considering my jet lag. I flew in on Tuesday. I’ll just adopt the same approach tomorrow, hopefully with a more solid start.
Nicholas Fung (Mas) First Round 69 (-3)
We started early and I think that’s an advantage. I teed off at 7.30am, and there were no winds at all. I was just aiming to keep the ball in play all the time. It doesn’t matter if the approach shot is long. It is most important to keep your ball on in play here at this golf course.
I’ve hit it well and I’m happy with three-under-par. The holes from 14th to 18th are the most difficult and most important in many golfers’ opinion. I three putted and bogeyed the 14th, birdied the 15th, bogeyed the 16th and birdied the 18th. Overall, I played even-par for those five holes, which I think is good. The most important thing to do is to score on the front nine. Bogey is not a bad score, just don’t go beyond that.
Panuphol Pittayarat (Tha) First Round 69 (-3)
To score a three-under-par 69 here is very satisfying for me. And, to be bogey free anywhere is nice, especially here on this challenging golf course. I struck the ball well today. I also had two great up-and-downs on holes 14 and 16.
After winning the Indonesian Open last year, I’ve been playing golf with plenty of confidence. Right now, I’m just enjoying my game and looking to improve every aspect my game. Nothing has changed. I have the same routine, same practice and I’m still grinding every day.
I’ll be adopting the same approach tomorrow. I’ll just keep the ball in play and I’m not going to try anything too funky. It’s a “place” golf course. You have to place the ball in the right positions on the fairways and greens.
Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) First Round 70 (-2)
I’m glad that I’m in the first group today. As there are no groups in front, I don’t have to wait constantly on the golf course. I can just play my game without interruptions.
I’m also happy about every aspect of my game. I drove accurately today, hit my iron shots cleanly and putted well. The morning was quite calm and it wasn’t windy, so that may have helped in my good scoring. The pin positions remain challenging. At the 16th, I left it far from the pin and ended with a bogey. But overall, I’m very happy with my opening round.
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