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Nørgaard leads storm-hit India Championship as Chouhan's 68 tops the Indians
Lightning and 24 mm of rain halted play for nearly five hours at Delhi Golf Club. Om Prakash Chouhan is two behind the Dane, while Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood opened with 70s.
Key points
- Denmark's Niklas Nørgaard shot a six-under 66 to lead the clubhouse.
- Om Prakash Chouhan's 68 left him tied fifth, the best of the Indians.
- Play was suspended for four hours and 50 minutes, and only the morning wave finished.
Niklas Nørgaard of Denmark shot a six-under-par 66 to lead the DP World India Championship after a first day at Delhi Golf Club that was cut in half by thunderstorms.
Play was stopped at 11 am on Thursday because of lightning, and a heavy downpour, with 24 mm of rain, kept the players off the course for four hours and 50 minutes. When golf resumed at about 4 pm, only the morning wave, about half the field, managed to finish.
Nørgaard closed his round with a birdie and admitted the course was not an obvious fit for his game.
“This (course) should not suit me at all.”
Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin, Belgium’s Thomas Detry and Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra are one shot back on 67.
Chouhan’s local knowledge
The best of the Indians was Om Prakash Chouhan, a 40-year-old with 12 professional titles who is seventh on the PGTI Order of Merit. His four-under 68, built on six birdies and two bogeys, left him tied fifth and two shots off the lead. The highlight was a chip-in from 15 yards on the sixth.
Chouhan said he was very satisfied with the round given the conditions and the long wait, and credited his knowledge of the Delhi course and a recent change of putter.
“I take it one round at a time.”
Saptak Talwar, who leads the PGTI Order of Merit, shot a one-under 71 with three birdies and two bogeys and said he was pleased with his start despite misreading a few putts, and that he was “most excited” about building one round on another. Manoj S had a 73 and Veer Ahlawat a 74.
The big names
Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood and world No. 2 Rory McIlroy, the headline acts in the US$4 million event, both opened with two-under 70s, four shots behind.
Several leading Indians were still out on the course in the evening. Shubhankar Sharma was two over after five holes, Anirban Lahiri level par through five, and Khalin Joshi level through three. Manu Gandas was one under after his first hole, and Amardeep Malik and Kartik Singh were level par through one. Shiv Kapur was also among those yet to finish.
The afternoon wave will have to complete its first rounds before the second round can get going.