Indian sports wrap, August 30: Sharma, Chouhan T-30th at British Masters after first round

GOLF

Sharma, Chouhan T-30th at British Masters after first round

Indian golfers Shubhankar Sharma and Om Prakash Chouhan fired identical cards of 1-under 71 to be tied 30th after the opening round of the Betfred British Masters.

Both Sharma and Chouhan had three birdies against two bogeys.

Paul Waring of England posted a five-under par on the back nine to grab a share of the lead alongside Frenchman Jeong weon Ko.

Warring mixed a birdie with a bogey on the front nine but came alive after the turn, starting with four birdies in a row, to post a round of 67 and share a one-stroke advantage from South African Thriston Lawrence and Spain’s Jorge Campillo.

The 39-year-old Waring matched the target set by Frenchman Ko, who similarly posted a level par front nine before attacking the back.

Lawrence and Campillo, who share third place on four under, sit one stroke clear of a group of 12 players in a share of fifth, including the English quartet of Laurie Canter, Tyrrell Hatton, Jordan Smith and Andrew Wilson.

Another Englishman, Todd Clements, celebrated his 28th birthday by recording the first hole-in-one of the week at the par three seventh.

-PTI

Pranavi falters on the back nine, Diksha lies T-29 in Dublin

Indian golfer Pranavi Urs gave away all the gains she made on the first nine with three bogeys on her second nine to open the Women’s Irish Open with an even par 73.

Pranavi was 3-under through her first four holes with birdies on the 11th, 12th and the 13th. She then traded a bogey on 15th with a birdie on the 17th.

On her second nine, the front side of the Par-73 O’Meara Course at Carton House, she bogeyed fourth, eighth and ninth to be tied 45th after the first round.

A multiple winner on the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour in India, Pranavi is in her rookie season. She is making her first start since the Aramco Team Series London at the start of July and is hoping to get back to the form that saw her bag three Top-10s in the first half of the season.

Compatriot Diksha Dagar, who is coming from starts in two Majors and the Paris Olympics, carded a 1-under 72 which included three birdies and two bogeys. She sits at T-29.

While Tvesa Malik (76) was T-93 and Ridhima Dilawari (79) was T-128th.

Three players are tied on five-under-par at the top. Italy’s Alessandra Fanali, Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom and Spain’s Luna Sobron Galmes all shot opening rounds of 68.

-PTI