S S P Chawrasia continued his excellent record in European Tour events on home soil as he claimed a share of the first round clubhouse lead at the Hero Indian Open.
Both of the 36 year old’s previous European Tour wins came in India, and a flawless 65 saw Chawrasia again setting the pace alongside playing partner and in-form Canadian Richard T Lee.
“I played very well and was bogey free,” said Chawrasia, who has already won twice at Delhi Golf Club, including his maiden European Tour victory.
“I made some good putts and was hitting it good off the tees. It looked easy but it wasn’t!
“I’ve played here many times so I know how to play this course. Richard was playing well as well so it was fun to play with him.
“This is my National Open and all the Indian golfers enjoy playing in this event. I’m not thinking too much on the course, I’m just enjoying myself.
“All my family and friends are here so that’s nice; I’m playing well and I have good memories here.
“It wasn’t very windy in the morning so that made things easier. The wind started to pick up after a few holes but I’m used to play in these conditions.”
Lee, a regular on the co-sanctioning Asian Tour, finished fourth in Thailand last week and fifth in Malaysia the week before and continued in the same vein with four gains in an outward 31.
Further birdies at the first and sixth saw the 24 year old join Chawrasia on six under par, with Sri Lanka’s Mithun Perera two shots off the pace in third.
“It’s a really challenging course out there so to finish the day with six birdies and no bogeys is some pretty good golf,” said Lee.
“You have to hit the right shots at the right times and I managed to make a few putts too; I like playing tight courses like this one.
“It takes a little time to get used to playing so many different courses and conditions. I played great in Malaysia and Thailand but the challenge there was so different. Here it’s tight and bouncy so to play well here after the last two weeks is pretty satisfying.
“I have played here for the last two years though, so I definitely knew what to expect from this golf course. It was great to play with SSP today because not many guys have played as well as he has round here. He has won twice here and I have to say I learned a lot about managing this course by watching him hit certain shots today.”
Maybank Malaysian Open winner and home favourite Anirban Lahiri was among the afternoon starters and birdied the first two holes before running up a double-bogey six on the fourth.
That dropped him back to level par alongside playing partner Miguel Angel Jimenez, who made it nine straight pars to the turn before blotting his copybook with a bogey on the tenth after failing to get up and down from the back of the green.
That was nothing compared to the struggles of Lahiri on the same hole, however; the 27 year old running up a quadruple-bogey eight to drop back to four over par.
Lahiri's approach found an unplayable lie in trees to the right of the green and after dropping under penalty on the adjacent 11th fairway, his fourth shot clipped the same set of trees and came down short of the green, from where he needed four more shots to complete the 421 yard par four.
Lahiri bounced back with a birdie on the 11th and, after missing a good chance on the next, picked up another shot from close range on the 13th to get back to two over par.
Jimenez raised his arms in mock celebration after finally carding his first birdie of the day from six feet on the 13th and soon had further reasons to be cheerful, holing from five feet on the 14th and a matter of inches on the 15th.
That hat-trick took the 51 year old to two under par and within four shots of the lead still held by Chowrasia and Lee, with Thailand's Chapchai Nirat and Sweden's Joakim Lagergren five under after 15 and ten holes respectively.
