DP World Tour : Hero Indian Open Leaderboard Tee Times
Matteo Manassero continued his fine recent form to join Joost Luiten and Keita Nakajima at the top of the leaderboard after day one of the Hero Indian Open.
The Italian created one of the stories of the season earlier this month when he won the Jonsson Workwear Open for his first DP World Tour victory in almost 11 years, completing a remarkable comeback after losing his card in 2018.
His bogey-free 65 saw him sit next to early pacesetter Luiten and they soon had Nakajima for company as the Japanese came home in 30 to also get to seven under at DLF Golf & Country Club.
English pair Sam Bairstow and Jordan Smith were then one shot off the lead alongside Frenchman Romain Langasque.
Manassero may have missed the cut last time out in Singapore but he was back to his South Africa form in New Delhi, missing a good chance to tie the course record on the last.
"Today was a really special day," he said. "Every time a tournament starts there’s a blank page. You prepare but on a course like this things can go the wrong way very easily.
"Today from the tee and into the greens I was extremely solid, so I’m really pleased about that and the result with not making any bogeys on a course like this. Seven under par is really good."
Luiten is something of a specialist at DLF G&CC, having finished in a tie for ninth in 2018 and third last year in his two previous appearances.
After losing his card in 2022 following 12 consecutive years on Tour with six wins, he bounced back to finish 26th on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex and has three top-25s from seven starts so far this season.
"I have good memories from last year, I was struggling with my game before that but finished third in Thailand and then third here," he said. "I like this golf course, it’s very demanding and you just have to hit it straight. It’s suits my game, especially today."
Nakajima - who spent a record 83 weeks at the top of the World Amateur Golf Ranking - is playing his rookie campaign on the DP World Tour after topping the Order of Merit on the Japan Golf Tour last season.
"I’m very happy with this score and I’m feeling very good," he said. "It’s a great course but I felt a bit nervous over the tee-shots. But I’m very comfortable with my swing and ball-striking.
"I’m very excited to be on the DP World Tour and very honoured to be playing with great players. I like travelling many countries."
Spanish pair Angel Hidalgo and Adrian Otaegui, German Jannik de Bruyn, Swiss Joel Girrbach, Dutchman Daan Huizing, Frenchman Jeong weon Ko and Paraguay's Fabrizio Zanotti were two shots off the lead.
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus (edit)
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