Sandhu, Sharma struggle early as Reed takes Qatar Masters lead

Yuvraj Sandhu and Shubhankar Sharma made quiet starts at the Qatar Masters as Patrick Reed’s red-hot run on the DP World Tour continued in Doha.

Sandhu opened with an even-par 72 to sit T-70, while Sharma’s 73 left him T-85 after the first round at Doha Golf Club, with both Indians needing a strong second day to avoid an early exit.

Reed, meanwhile, set the early pace alongside New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier, with both posting 7-under 65s to share the lead. The 2018 Masters champion has surged to the top of the International Swing standings after winning the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and finishing runner-up at last week’s Bahrain Championship.

Sandhu’s round was headed in the wrong direction before a late spark. He was two-over through 15 holes but finished with back-to-back birdies to salvage a level-par start.

Sharma mixed four birdies with three bogeys and a double bogey, leaving little margin heading into Friday.

The chasing group at six-under featured a strong Scandinavian presence, with Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult, Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen and Finland’s Oliver Lindell all one back. Spain’s Angel Ayora and Italy’s Gregorio De Leo also joined the pack.

Elsewhere, Padraig Harrington marked a milestone week, making his 500th start on the DP World Tour — becoming just the 50th player in Tour history to reach the mark.

Photo – PGTI