Jammu teenager Shubhankar Sharma fired a blistering eight-under-64 to hog the limelight on day one of the Rs 1.5 crore McLeod Russel Tour Championship 2014, the year-ending event of the PGTI, at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, here today.
Shubhankar, who at 17 years of age became the youngest winner on the PGTI at Kochi in April this year, was in sublime form as he produced an incredible nine birdies against a lone bogey.
The 18-year-old was off to a solid start with five birdies on front nine including a chip-in on the fifth.
The DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon, lad made the turn at five-under after two birdie conversions from 10 to 12 feet on the seventh and ninth.
His only bogey of the day came as a result of a lip-out on the 10th but he came back stronger with four successive birdies from the 15th to the 18th.
He sank a 20-footer on the 17th and landed it close to the flag on the 16th and 18th as it was a near perfect day for him at a venue where he had won Amateurs early last year.
"It's been a lucky venue for me and I could not have asked for a better start," Shubankar said adding that "everyday is a new day. I've to start it afresh tomorrow."
Chikkarangappa S of Bangalore posted a six-under-66 to be placed second.
Gaganjeet Bhullar shot a four-under-68 to be tied fourth.
The Kolkata trio of Rahil Gangjee (70), Arjun Atwal (72) and SSP Chowrasia (73) were tied eighth, tied 22nd and tied 27th respectively.
Leaderboard (Top 10)
1 Shubhankar Sharma 64 (-8); 2 S Chikkarangappa 66 (-6); 3 Shamim Khan 67 (-5); 4 M Dharma, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Shankar Das 68 (-4); 7 Chiragh Kumar 69 (-3); 8 Ranjit Singh, Vikrant Chopra, Kapil Kumar, Mohammad Zamal Hossain Mollah (Bangladesh), Sanjay Kumar and Rahil Gangjee 70 (-2).
