Rahil Gangjee best-placed Indian at Jakarta International golf

Jakarta, Oct 2 (PTI) Veteran Indian golfer Rahil Gangjee carded a flawless four-under 66 to be three shots off the clubhouse lead on a rain-affected opening day of the Jakarta International Championship here on Thursday.

The 47-year-old, two-time Asian Tour champion was the best-placed Indian in the field at the Damai Indah Golf PIK Course following birdies on the 9th, 13th, 14th and 16th holes.

Another Indian in the fray, Gaganjeet Bhullar is also on the same score but could only complete 16 holes before darkness fell.

The Olympian, a multiple-time winner in Indonesia, started with an eagle on the 545-yard par-five first, and was four-under through four holes after two further early birdies. But after picking up another birdie on the 11th, he dropped a shot on the par-three 15th shortly before play ended for the day.

Meanwhile, Khalin Joshi and Viraj Madappa are both in the clubhouse on two under.

Suteepat Prateeptienchai of Thailand is leading with a 63 after a superb seven-under round, with Wade Ormsby of Australia, Roberto Lebrija of Mexico and Chang Wei-lun of Chinese Taipei a shot further back after carding 64s.

Poor weather in the morning stopped play for an hour and 20 minutes, the end result meaning 45 players will need to finish their first round early Friday morning before round two can get underway.

The tournament is the fifth of nine elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar that form a pathway onto the LIV Golf League through the season-long rankings race. PTI AM AM PDS PDS