Defending champion Yuvraj Singh Sandhu of Chandigarh was on fire in round one of the Masters 2022 as he struck a scintillating nine-under 63 to take the early lead here at the Digboi Golf Links.
Sri Lankan Anura Rohana, who made two chip-ins on day one, returned an eight-under 64 to be placed second. Delhi’s Kshitij Naveed Kaul was third at 65 while Greater Noida’s Arjun Sharma was a further shot back in fourth.
Yuvraj Singh Sandhu, the 2022 PGTI Order of Merit leader and a winner of four titles this season, had a whirlwind start with three birdies on the first four holes. A bogey and birdie on the fifth and ninth respectively meant that he made the turn at three under.
The 25-year-old Sandhu’s birdie on the 11th got him back in the groove as he picked up five more birdies thereafter landing it close to the pin consistently. He drove the par-4 14th green to set up a two-putt birdie there.
Yuvraj said, “I’m feeling a little nostalgic coming back to the venue where I won my first PGTI event last year. I’m playing on those good memories. This year the weather is even better and that makes the playing experience here at Digboi that much more special. The stretch of birdies from the 11th onwards was the highlight today. After a good start, I had a quiet few holes but then on the back nine, I kept telling myself to hit maximum greens in regulation. With that thought, I started hitting the ball really close and got on a birdie run. I had a total of 16 greens in regulation today and thanks to my good ball striking the longest putt I made was 15 feet.”
Anura Rohana mixed an eagle and seven birdies with a bogey to end the day in the second position. Rohana chipped in for birdies on the first and sixth. He made a 10-feet eagle conversion on the seventh.
