Wentworth (England), Sep 20 (PTI) India’s Shubhankar Sharma had a difficult start with a 3-over 75 that will make it difficult for him to make the cut at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club.
Shubhankar was lying T-114th following an eagle, a birdie and six bogeys. He had a birdie, an eagle and two bogeys in his first four holes and four bogeys on his back nine.
Matthew Baldwin produced a flawless seven-under-par round of 65 to lead the championship by one shot. The 38-year-old Englishman managed to keep his card clean and held his nerve to roll in his seventh birdie at the last to take the outright lead.
It is Baldwin’s maiden Round 1 lead since the 2018 season as he sits one clear of Denmark’s Niklas Nørgaard and Belgium’s Thomas Detry.
The Dane had set the daunting clubhouse target of six-under after mixing seven gains and one dropped shot as he continued his love affair with the English golf courses.
The 32-year-old claimed his maiden DP World Tour title at the Betfred British Masters earlier this month and maintained his recent fine form in Surrey.
Eleven players were at five-under for the day, including four-time Major champion Rory McIlroy, Rolex Series winner Victor Perez, Ryder Cup stars Robert MacIntyre and Shane Lowry and former winners Billy Horschel and Matteo Manassero.
Defending champion Ryan Fox battled to one under, while Germany’s Hurly Long recorded the 26th hole-in-one of the season when he aced the 197-yard fifth hole with a seven iron. PTI Cor AM AM AM
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