Indian golfers Ajeetesh Sandhu and S Chikkarangappa were off to modest starts, opening with an even-par 71 each at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open on the Asian Tour. (More Sports News)
The duo was T-33 as Kyungnam Kang, one of Korea’s most experienced players, shot a bogey-free six-under-par 65 to take the lead.
Among other Indians, SSP Chawrasia (72) was T-52, Shiv Kapur (76) was T-110 and Karandeep Kochhar (78) was T-133.
Sandhu, starting from the first, had three birdies on the fourth, 11th and 15th holes and also dropped three bogeys.
Chikka, starting on the back nine, opened with two bogeys, but did well to make up with birdies on the 13th, 15th and 18th to turn in 1-under.
However, he dropped shots on the first and the third before picking a late birdie on ninth to finish even par.
The 41-year-old Kang, an 11-time winner on the Korean PGA Tour, made six birdies, including four in a row from the 12th.
He leads by one over compatriots Jang Yubin and Woohyun Kim, Canadian Richard T. Lee and Miguel Carballo from Argentina.
Kang has been a professional for 20 years but has never won on the Asian Tour.
The 21-year-old Jang Yubin is one of Korea’s rising stars having been part of the Korean team that won gold at last October’s Hangzhou Asian Games, after which he turned professional.
John Catlin from the United States, chasing a record-setting third consecutive win on the Asian Tour, was three-under with three to play, without a bogey on his card till then. However, he bogeyed the final three holes for a 71.
