Yuvraj Sandhu made a confident start at the Turkish Airlines Open, carding a 3-under 69 to sit inside the top 10 after the opening round in Antalya.

Fellow Indian Shubhankar Sharma also opened steadily with a 2-under 70, placing him tied 22nd at the National Golf Club.

Sandhu’s round showcased resilience. Starting on the 10th, he picked up an early birdie on the 12th but slipped with back-to-back bogeys on the 13th and 14th to turn in one over. He responded impressively on his second nine, firing four birdies on the 1st, 4th, 5th and 8th to climb back into red figures and finish strongly.

Sharma’s round was more mixed but productive, featuring an eagle, three birdies and three bogeys to stay within striking distance.

At the top, Sweden’s Mikael Lindberg set the pace with a bogey-free 6-under 66. He built momentum late in the round, picking up four birdies over his final six holes to move clear.

“I stayed patient early and took my chances coming in,” Lindberg said.

The Swede arrives in strong form, having finished third at the Volvo China Open, and is targeting a top-three finish in the Asian Swing Rankings to secure a place at the upcoming PGA Championship.

What it means: A promising DP World Tour start for Sandhu, showing he can compete early against a strong field.

What’s next: With scoring opportunities available, maintaining momentum through round two will be key to staying in contention heading into the weekend.

Photo – Yuvraj Sandhu