Shubhankar Sharma opened with a 4-under 68 to sit tied 12th after the first round of the Joburg Open, finishing two shots behind a group of five early leaders.
Jayden Schaper, Nathan Kimsey, Max Steinlechner, Angel Ayora and Dan Bradbury all carded 6-under 64 to share the lead at the end of the opening day.
Sharma began his round with a bogey but quickly settled into rhythm, picking up four birdies across the front nine to turn in 3-under. He added another birdie on the 10th to move to 4-under before parring his remaining holes to close a solid opening round.
His birdies came on the third, fifth, sixth, eighth and 10th holes as he built momentum through the middle of the round.
The Indian returned to the Joburg Open with fond memories, having claimed his maiden DP World Tour title at the event in 2017. After losing his card last season, Sharma regained full status through Qualifying School and is looking to rebuild momentum early in the campaign.
Local player Luke Brown also threatened the lead during the round, reaching 7-under through 12 holes before slipping back to finish at 4-under.
With the leaderboard tightly packed, Sharma remains well placed heading into the second round in Johannesburg.
Photo – DPWT
