Freddy Schott set the early pace with a 6-under 66, while Veer Ahlawat emerged as the best-placed Indian after round one of the Hero Indian Open at DLF Golf and Country Club.
Defending champion Eugenio Chacarra sits second at 5-under 67, one shot behind the German.
Ahlawat, playing at his home course, signed for an even-par 72 to sit tied 32nd. His round featured six birdies but was offset by two bogeys and two double bogeys.
Kartik Singh, Om Prakash Chouhan and Kshitij Naveed Kaul are the next best Indians at 1-over 73, tied 41st, while Mohd Azhar was also at 1-over with one hole remaining.
Shubhankar Sharma, Rayhan Thomas and Akshay Bhatia struggled to 5-over 77, while Yuvraj Sandhu carded 80.
Ahlawat started brightly with birdies on the first and fourth but dropped multiple shots between the sixth and ninth, including a double bogey. He recovered well on the back nine with four birdies, including a chip-in and long-range conversions.
“I was a bit too aggressive early on because there was no wind,” Ahlawat said. “This course demands patience, and I know I can build on this over the next few days.”
Sixteen-year-old Kartik Singh also impressed despite a triple bogey, showing control off the tee on a layout where accuracy is key.
With scoring expected to remain tight, Ahlawat will look to cut out mistakes and move up the leaderboard over the weekend.
Photo – PGTI
