Indian golfer Rashid Khan fired a career-best 11-under 61 in the opening round of the USD 300,000 SAIL-SBI Open to lead the field by a huge five-stroke margin after the first day at the prestigious Delhi Golf Club here today.
The 23-year-old, playing on his home course, went on a birdie spree as he picked up nine of them and one eagle in a flawless card, to launch his full Asian Tour season in style.
Rashid produced incredible golf to set the second best score at the DGC, where Liang Wen-Chong of China had set the 18-hole Tour record with a stunning 12-under 60 in the opening round of the 2008 Indian Open. He had won the title with a total of 16-under 272.
Sri Lanka's Mithun Perera, who won the Standard Charter Open and PGTI Eagleburg Open in the last two weeks, produced a six-under 66, same as Japan's Akinori Tani, to stay five strokes behind, while Australian Scott Barr and Bangladesh's Siddikur Rahman was at the fourth spot with a card of five-under 67.
Two-time European Tour champion, SSP Chowrasia, S Chikkarangappa, who narrowly missed out on qualifying for the elite Asian Tour golf recently, 2009 Indian Open winner C Muniyappa, Sanjay Kumar and England's Steve Lewton were tied fifth after carding a matching 68.
Two-time defending champion, Anirban Lahiri faltered on his back nine to bring home a card of two-under 70, along with Mukesh kumar to lie tied 21st.
Among prominent names, Jyoti Randhawa, Manav Jaini, Rahil Gangjee and Himmat Rai -- all carded one-under 71 to lie tied 28th.
The day belonged to Rashid as he braved the early morning chill and set ablaze the course after making back-to-back birdies in the first two holes. After four par holes, he picked up two more strokes at the seventh and eighth holes.
Rashid hardly put a foot wrong as he kept his shots close to the pin, and on his back nine picked up a stroke at the 11th before sinking a 20-feet birdie putt at the 13th hole.
