Shubhankar, Veer have off to difficult start in Belgium

Antwerp (Belgium), May 23 (PTI) Indian golfers Shubhankar Sharma and Veer Ahlawat endured a tough opening day to return identical cards of three-over 74 and be placed a lowly tied 132nd in the Soudal Open here.

Both of them will have to cover a lot of ground to make the weekend cut.

Sharma had four birdies, five bogeys and one double bogey in his unimpressive day, while Ahlawat dropped five strokes, including a triple-bogey, and managed a couple of birdies on each side of the course on Thursday.

On the front nine Sharma had bogeys on the fourth, seventh and eighth holes along with a double bogey on the ninth hole. He made a birdie on the fifth hole to play four over on the front nine.

In the back nine, he had had bogeys on the 10th and 15th holes. He birdied the 14th, 16th and 18th holes to play one under on the back nine and finish the day with a total score of three-over.

In one stretch between the seventh and the 10th, he dropped five shots with three bogeys and one double bogey.

Ahlawat started from the 10th and bogeyed the 11th and triple bogeyed the 12th. He birdied the 16th and the fifth and closed with a bogey on the ninth, his final hole.

Joost Luiten took advantage of playing near his home and posted an opening six-under 65 to share a one-stroke lead with Canadian Aaron Cockerill and Spain's Angel Ayora at Rinkven International Golf Club.

The leading trio is one stroke ahead of three players who share teh fourth place at five-under 66. That includes South African Thriston Lawrence alongside American Sean Crocker and Englishman Marco Penge. PTI Cor PM PM PM