Gotemba (Japan), Oct 3 (PTI): Krishnav Nikhil Chopraa, son of former India cricketer Nikhil Chopra, played a steady opening round of 2-under 68 to be placed at a creditable tied 12th on a day of unpredictable winds at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships here.
It was Chopraa’s best round at the AAC and he now lies three shots behind the leader, Randy Bintang of Indonesia (65).
Among other Indians, Vedant Sirohi (69) was tied 16th and Kartik Singh had a roller-coaster 71 with a bogey-bogey finish to be tied 31st. Debutant Rakshit Dahiya had a rough day with 75 and was tied 69th.
Bintang, a 10th tee starter, was 5-under with six birdies and one bogey and played two groups behind Chopraa.
Hong Kong’s Wang Ngai Shen shot 4-under 66 and shared the second place with two Japanese golfers Rintaro Nakano and debutant Taishi Moto.
Nakano’s 66 included an eagle and two birdies and no bogeys.
The 19-year-old Chopraa, who plays college golf at Long Island, US, had four birdies against two bogeys in tough-to-read-wind at the tree-lined tight course.
“I played my first nine, the back stretch of the course, well, but didn’t hit it well for my second half,” said Chopraa.
“I didn’t have a great start. On my first hole, the 10th, it was confusing. I hit a 4-Iron and a 6-Iron, and I just about got away with a par.
“On Par-5 11th, I bogeyed. Then after that I played well. I got birdies on 12th and almost holed my second shot on the 16th (his seventh),” he said.
On his back nine, his hitting was good and holed a few good putts, too.
He had two good birdies on the third and the sixth, his 12th and the 15th and made some good pars.
Sirohi, who plays college golf at the Webber International University, had a great start with birdies on the third and the sixth as his approach shots were inside five feet and two feet.
He bogeyed the ninth but hit a superb shot with Gap Wedge on the Par-4 14th to four feet for a birdie.
On the 15th, he was in serious trouble and instead of trying any heroics he gave away a shot and finished at 1-under.
The 14-year-old Kartik, who last year became the youngest ever to make the cut at the AAC, finished bogey-bogey after a fine rally from an early double bogey.
Kartik admitted that he went into the bunkers too often. “Maybe I have had my share of bunkers for the week today,” he said.
He had an early double bogey on his second hole, the 11th of the course as he missed the fairway and found a bunker, too.
The tenacious teen fought back brilliantly with birdies on the 16th and the 18th to make the turn in even par.
“I was playing fine and then came bogeys on the eighth and the ninth, my last two holes. Bunkers cost me heavily,” said Kartik.
“It is not an easy course but I hope to fight back tomorrow,” he added. PTI Corr UNG 7/21/2024
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