Ahlawat shoots 70 despite late bogeys in Bahrain

Bahrain, Jan 31 (PTI) Indian golfer Veer Ahlawat, who was cruising at 4-under through 16 holes, dropped two bogeys in the last three holes to finish at 2-under 70 in the first round of the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship here.

Ahlawat, who had a fine outing in Ras Al Khaimah last week, was T-35 after the first day.

The lone Indian in the field this week, Ahlawat had six birdies against four bogeys.

England's Brandon Robinson Thompson carded a course-record of 11-under 61 to take a three-shot lead after round one. At one point, he was chasing a 59, carded years ago by Oliver Fisher.

Ahlawat, who came onto the DP World Tour after topping the PGTI Tour in India, birdied the second and fifth and following a bogey on the seventh. He birdied the eighth and ninth to turn in 3-under 33.

The Indian then birdied the 12th and 14th, but gave away shots on the 13th, 16th and 18th to finish at 70.

Thompson had that magic number in his sights when he recorded eight birdies and two eagles and no bogeys to be 12-under through his opening 17 holes.

However, the HotelPlanner Tour graduate finished with his only bogey of the day after going long with his approach from a fairway bunker to end the opening day at 11 under. He was still three shots better than Callum Tarren, his nearest challenger at eight under.

Thompson clicked into gear on Thursday with an eagle at the par-five third, before backing it up immediately with a birdie at the 443-yard fourth. Further gains followed at the sixth and eighth, before the 32-year-old closed out his front nine by rolling in an eagle putt from 28 feet at the ninth.

He missed a short birdie effort at the 10th, but a run of four consecutive birdies from the 12th through to the 15th put everyone on 59 watch, before he lipped out for five in a row from distance at the par-three 16th.

His chance at history was back on though when his putter delivered again at the 17th, before his dropped shot at the last.

Tarren shot eight birdies in his bogey-free round of 64 to sit three shots off the lead, with Pablo Larrazábal recording the lowest round of the afternoon with his round of 66 as the wind picked up around Royal Golf Club.

The Spaniard is in a tie for third at six under par alongside Frenchman Martin Couvra, Scott Richie Ramsay and Tapio Pulkkanen of Finland. PTI Cor SSC SSC SSC