Indian golfers Shubhankar Sharma and Om Prakash Chouhan made a promising start at the Betfred British Masters, both carding identical scores of 1-under 71 to tie for 30th place after the opening round. Both players recorded three birdies against two bogeys.
Meanwhile, Paul Waring of England and Frenchman Jeong Weon Ko are sharing the lead after a stellar performance. Waring, who mixed a birdie with a bogey on the front nine, came alive after the turn, starting with four consecutive birdies. He finished with a round of 67, equaling the score set by Ko, who also had a solid performance on the back nine.
South African Thriston Lawrence and Spain’s Jorge Campillo are tied for third place at 4-under par, just one stroke behind the leaders. A total of 12 players are tied for fifth place, including the English quartet of Laurie Canter, Tyrrell Hatton, Jordan Smith, and Andrew Wilson. Another English golfer, Todd Clements, celebrated his 28th birthday by recording the first hole-in-one of the week on the par-three seventh hole.
In the Women’s Irish Open, Indian golfer Pranavi Urs had a disappointing back nine, giving away all the gains she made on the front nine. She started strong, reaching 3-under par through her first four holes, but three bogeys on her second nine resulted in an even par 73 score. This placed her in a tie for 45th after the first round.
Pranavi, a multiple winner on the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour in India, is currently in her rookie season. She is hoping to regain the form that saw her achieve three Top-10 finishes in the first half of the season.
Meanwhile, her compatriot Diksha Dagar, coming off strong performances at two Majors and the Paris Olympics, finished the first round with a 1-under 72, including three birdies and two bogeys. She is tied for 29th place. Tvesa Malik and Ridhima Dilawari are currently in 93rd and 128th place, respectively.
Three players are tied for the lead at 5-under par: Italy’s Alessandra Fanali, Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom, and Spain’s Luna Sobron Galmes, all shooting opening rounds of 68.
