St Louis (the US): Golfer Shubhankar Sharma shot his first sub-par round at a Major as he compiled a one-under 69 to lie tied 33rd after the first round of the 100th PGA Championships here, Thursday.
While Sharma, playing his fourth Major of the year, had three birdies against two bogeys in his 69, his senior colleague Anirban Lahiri shot even par 70, despite five birdies, to lie tied 48th. His show was marred by the five bogeys he committed at the Bellerive Country Club course.
The long 38-foot putt for birdie on the ninth, his closing hole, was a big consolation as Lahiri finished at even par 70 to lie alongside Tiger Woods (70).
Woods, a four-time winner of the PGA Championship, got off to a slow start with a bogey and double bogey on his first two holes, but he recovered to shoot a 70 and is tied for 48th.
It was tough out there today. By the time, I went in, the grass had already suffered wear and tear. So I missed a few putts
Anirban Lahiri
Gary Woodland (64) and Rickie Fowler (65) – looking for their first win in a Major – took a big first step in that direction after setting the early pace.
“It feels great when you start with an under par round and overall I was happy with my play,” Sharma said at the end of the day’s play. “You are never happy finishing with a bogey, but a score of 69 did please me.”
South African Brandon Stone and two-time Major winner Zach Johnson are in third place at four-under 66. There was a big logjam at three-under 67 and it included World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, Austin Cook, Ian Poulter, Pat Perez, Brian Gay, Stewart Cink, Kevin Kisner, Justin Rose, Thomas Pieters and 2016 PGA Championship winner Jason Day.
