Freddy Schott edged into a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Hero Indian Open, carding a 6-under 66 at the DLF Golf and Country Club.
The German, coming off solid recent form on the DP World Tour, holds a narrow advantage over defending champion Eugenio Chacarra, who sits second at 5-under 67.
Dan Bradbury is third at 4-under 68, the only other player to get close to the leading pair on a demanding day.
Scoring once again proved difficult on the Gary Player-designed layout, with just 31 under-par rounds recorded.
Among the Indians, Veer Ahlawat was the best placed at even-par 72 after a late birdie on the 18th. Shubhankar Sharma struggled to a 5-over 77.
Akshay Bhatia endured a difficult round, including a triple bogey after a wrong-ball penalty, but fought back with a 3-under back nine to finish at 77. Francesco Molinari opened with a level-par 72 to sit tied 32nd.
Schott’s round was built on control and patience. He was 6-under through 13 holes before two late bogeys, but closed with a birdie on the 18th to regain the outright lead.
Chacarra, meanwhile, recovered from a slow start to stay firmly in contention, drawing on positive memories from his win here last year.
Play was suspended due to fading light with three players yet to finish, with round one set to resume early Friday.
With conditions expected to remain testing, the gap at the top remains fragile heading into the second round.
Photo – Hero MotoCorp
