SCORESHEET

October 22nd 2009, Digboi, Assam: Kolkata’s Feroz Ali Mollah grabbed the lead on the opening day of the IndianOil XtraPremium Masters Golf 2009. The 39-year-old veteran posted a five under 67 at the scenic Digboi Golf Links on Thursday. Mukesh Kumar, another seasoned campaigner, shot four under 68 to be hot on Feroz’s heels in second place.

Feroz Ali Mollah, currently placed 24th on the Aircel-PGTI Order of Merit, made an inspiring recovery despite beginning his round with a double bogey on the 10th. The former Indian Open champion birdied the 12th and followed that up with an eagle-birdie on the 14th and 15th. He drove the green on the 277-yard long 14th hole and then sank a mammoth 40 feet putt for eagle. Feroz went on to drop a bogey on the 17th but he soon managed to negate that with another birdie on the first.

The flamboyant Mollah, dressed in his trademark colourful attire, did miss a few short putts for birdie from the second to the sixth but he more than made up with three successive birdies on the seventh, eighth and ninth.

“I’ve been playing well in recent events but somehow I’ve not been able to put up good scores. So today’s round of 67 has come at the right time for me. I’m really pleased with my performance especially because I began the day with a double bogey and then fought back,” said Mollah, who won his last professional event in India in February 2006.

He added, “The course here has never looked better even though it is playing a bit longer due to the rain over the last few days. It was great to make an eagle-two on the 14th today. I also had a very good birdie on the closing ninth, where I could’ve made an eagle, had my chip from the edge of the green not lipped-out.”

Mukesh Kumar of Mhow, the 2007-08 Aircel-PGTI Order of Merit champion and a triple winner in the Aircel-PGTI’s current season, fired four under 68 to be placed second at the end of round one.

Mukesh also drove the green to sink an eagle on the 14th like Feroz. Mukesh’s card included four birdies and two bogeys as well.

“I drove the green on the 14th and left myself a five footer for eagle. That was probably the best moment of my round today. I hit it close through the day and did not need to make too many long putts for birdies. The conditions will be challenging this week as the rough is up,” said Mukesh, who is currently fourth on the Aircel-PGTI Order of Merit.

Ranjit Singh Rathore, Amardip Sinh Malik, Anirudh Goyal, Vinod Kumar and Shankar Das are all in tied third place with identical scores of three under 69.

Shamim Khan and Gaurav Pratap Singh are a further stroke behind in tied eighth position.