M Dharma seizes opening lead with a top-class 64 at Golconda Masters

Hyderabad, February 22: Bengaluru’s M Dharma riding high since his victory on the PGTI in December last year shot a top-class seven-under-64 to seize the opening round lead at the Golconda Masters 2018 presented by Telangana Tourism, a Rs. 30 lakh event being held at the Hyderabad Golf Association (HGA) course.

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Sri Lankan N Thangaraja, Kolkata’s Shankar Das and Panchkula-based Angad Cheema were in joint second with scores of six-under-65.

Dharma, a winner of two titles who finished fifth on the PGTI Order of Merit last year, brought in an error-free card of seven-under on Thursday (February 22) that gave him the early advantage. Dharma tapped-in for his first birdie on the third before picking up two more shots on the sixth and 10th, both par-5s.

#GolcondaMasters2018 presented by @tstourism: #MDharma seizes opening round lead with a top-class 7-under-64; @angadcheema9 #NThangaraja #ShankarDas in T2 at 6-under-65 https://t.co/GHIlVSJ5Jv pic.twitter.com/Z0F5WisRl5

— PGTI (@PGTITOUR) February 22, 2018

The 31-year-old then enjoyed his best stretch of the day with the putter as he sank four consecutive birdies from the 14th to the 17th, all from a range of 12 to 25 feet.

Dharma said, “My game really started picking up from the Bengaluru Open onwards last year. I posted a score of 13-under that week to finish inside the top-6. I’ve not looked back since then. I’ve been very consistent thereafter and put myself in contention time and again. My victory in Mumbai last year was a part of this gradual progression.

“I just enjoyed myself today and capitalised on the par-5s, making birdies on three of them. The putter got hot on the back-nine and that helped me close the day on a high. The key at this course will be placement off the tee and putting as the course isn’t that long.”

N Thangaraja braved an injured knee to produce seven birdies against a lone bogey in the first round. Thangaraja wasn’t driving at his best due to the injury but still struck it well enough to set up five short birdie putts which he went on to convert. He also chipped-in for birdie on the 11th after landing his tee shot over the green.

Angad Cheema’s flawless 65 placed him tied second. Cheema, a former winner on the PGTI, scored on all four par-5s, making a 12-feet eagle conversion on the 17th and birdies on the 10th, sixth and eighth.

Former PGTI Order of Merit champion Shankar Das too took a share of second as he mixed seven birdies with a bogey. Shankar missed a hole-in-one by a whisker on the 16th where his tee shot lipped out after almost finding the pin.

Young guns Karandeep Kochhar of Chandigarh and Shubham Narain of Delhi were off to good starts with scores of five-under-66 that placed them tied fifth along with Bangladesh’s Md Zamal Hossain Mollah.

PGTI Order of Merit leader Syed Saqib Ahmed of Bengaluru shot a one-under-70 to be tied 31st while former champion Harendra Gupta of Chandigarh was in tied 71st after firing a two-over-73.