DOHA: Shiv Kapur shot a brilliant five-under 67 to give himself just the kind of a start he needed to mount a challenge at the Commercialbank Qatar Masters golf on Thursday. There was more good news for India as Jeev Milkha Singh, the Asian Tour’s UBS Order of Merit winner last year, enjoyed a bogey-free 69.
With quite a few players still out on the course, as the round is expected to finish late according to Indian time, Kapur was one shot off the early lead held by Miguel Angel Jimenez, who finished second to Paul Casey at the Abu Dhabi Open last week.
The 25-year-old Kapur, playing his first full season on the European Tour, had a shaky start with a birdie on his opening hole on the par-5 tenth, but then dropped a bogey on 11th. Then again he had a bogey on 15th but caught up with a birdie on 17th.
It was one the second nine, the front stretch of the course that Kapur was on fire. Kapur had seven birdies and two bogeys. Kapur’s five birdies on the second stretch came on the first, second, fourth, fifth and seventh to come home with a five-under 31 on second stretch and a total of 67.
Jimenez soared on the wings of an eagle for a 66. Jeev, starting on the tenth, had birdies on the 14th, 16th and sixth, the last one coming off a 30-foot putt. He missed out on all the par-fives and left many a putt out there.
“It could well have been five or six-under. But its okay as I made no bogeys,” Jeev said. “I’m still rusty, I’m being honest. I hit a few shots which were not wanted but that’s the way golf is. I’m working hard at my game and hopefully I’ll be better in a week’s time. It’s not a bad round and I handled myself pretty well. But I had good course management.
“I’m working on a few things on my swing. It’s still not quite there yet. I’ve got to hit a few more balls. My putting wasn’t up to the mark, some were good, some were bad. But I made some good long putts. I had a few opportunities for birdies.”
Kapur found only nine fairways, but as he said, “I managed to get to the greens and I holed some good putts.” He needed 26 putts for the round. Of the three other Indians, who finished their rounds in the morning, Rahil Gangjee and SSP Chowrasia shot even par 72 each, while Gaurav Ghei had a disappointing five-over 77. Jyoti Randhawa and Amandeep Johl were still out on the course.
