Manila, Nov 12 (IANS) Four of the seven Indians playing at the Masters Course at Manila Southwoods Golf & Country Club shot 1-over 71 and were placed tied 38th after the first round of the Philippine Open presented by the Philippine Sports Commission.
The quartet included Pukhraj Singh Gill, who has already secured his Asian Tour card for 2027, Aman Raj, Shaurya Bhattacharya and Anirban Lahiri.
Gill, the winner of the IGPL Order of Merit in 2025, has qualified for the Asian Tour for 2027 by finishing in the Top-10 of the Order of Merit on the Asian Development Tour.
Gill had five birdies against two bogeys and two double bogeys, while Lahiri had two birdies against three bogeys and Aman Raj had three birdies against four bogeys. Shaurya had one birdie and two bogeys.
Of the other three Indians who teed off, Rashid Khan and Ajeetesh Sandhu carded 3-over 73 each and were T-69, and SSP Chawrasia had a rough day with 6-over 76 and was T-107.
New Zealand’s Nick Voke rose to the challenge of the Jack Nicklaus-designed Masters Course after shooting a five-under-par 65 to take the lead.
His first-round performance saw him take the lead over Thailand’s Nopparat Panichphol, who carded a 66 for second place, while his compatriots Tawit Polthai and Sarut Vongchaisit, Americans Kevin Na and Andy Ogletree, plus Jeongwoo Ham from Korea are joint third, following 67s.
The tournament is the season-ending event on the Asian Tour and will decide who wins the Order of Merit. The Merit list leader, Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert, took the first step to safely secure it with a 68, to lie in equal eighth.
His nearest challengers, Australian Travis Smyth and Jazz Janewattananond from Thailand, shot rounds of 73 and 74 respectively and have a lot to do if they have any chance of toppling Pavit. Smyth needs to finish in the top two, and Jazz simply needs a win – as long as Pavit finishes further down the leaderboard.
–IANS
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