Anura Rohana of Sri Lanka takes lead at TATA Open in Jamshedpur

Friday, 23 November 2012 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Anura Rohana of Sri Lanka grabbed the opening round lead, firing a phenomenal nine-under-62 at the 11th TATA Open in Jamshedpur yesterday.

Mithun Perera of Sri Lanka, Sandeep Syal of Chennai and Bangalore’s Abhishek Jha are in joint second place at six-under-65.

One half of the field played its 18 holes at the par-72 Beldih Golf Course while the golfers in the other half completed their rounds at the par-71 Golmuri Golf Course.

The Golmuri course has recently been expanded from nine holes to eighteen. Today both halves of the field will switch venues (those who played at Beldih on day one, play eighteen holes at Golmuri on day two and vice-versa).

Rohana, a winner of four professional titles, wrecked havoc at the newly-designed 18-hole Golmuri course with an eagle and eight birdies besides a bogey.

The 39-year-old from Colombo was on fire from the outset as he collected his first birdie on the second hole.

Rohana then drove the green on the par-4 fourth hole and sank a four-footer to register an eagle. He landed his shots within four feet on the sixth and ninth to pick up two more strokes.

The happy-go-lucky Sri Lankan ended the day with a flourish as he birdied the last three holes (16th, 17th and 18th) to establish the course record at the newly-designed course.

Perera, another Sri Lankan, shot a bogey-free six-under-65 at Golmuri to be placed tied second. His round featured an eagle on the fourth and four birdies. Syal, like Perera, also returned a bogey-free 65 at the Golmuri course, that placed him joint second. (Business Standard)