Chiragh shares five-way lead after first round
NOIDA: Last week’s Jaipur Open could be the momentum Chiragh Kumar has been seeking for a while. The 63 on the opening day there was undoubtedly a boost for one whose work ethics are in place, but was laid low by injury last season and a relapse earlier this season.
Chiragh hopes the positives out of last week on the Professional Golf Tour of India and now tied for the lead here at three-under 69 at the Noida Golf Course after Day One of the QA Infotech Open, would set him on course for bigger challenges on the Asian Tour, where he broke through with the win in 2015 at the Delhi Golf Club.
There are no regrets over how his career has shaped up after the triumph at the Panasonic Open as there is little or no control over injuries. If there is misgiving, it is over the timing of the wrist troubling him again. It was the Tuesday of the Maybank Championship in early February when Chiragh felt pain. There was the option of pulling out, but he didn’t and went through the week with a heavy dose of painkillers. He missed the cut but the pressure on the wrist led him to stay away from golf till four days before the Hero Indian Open a month later. “Getting injured at the start of the season (on the Asian Tour) is bad as several big-money events are lined up,” said Chiragh.
More than the inability to “put enough money on the board”, is the concern of sealing his playing rights in Asia for next season. While a lot of work needs to be done in that direction, the 34-year-old is hopeful, especially after last week and the round here on Tuesday that looked spectacular — two eagles and four birdies, if one were to overlook the dropped shots.
Starting from Japan next week, it will be a prolonged run on the Asian Tour for Chiragh as he strives to make up for lost time and form.
He is aware a lot more needs to be done than Tuesday’s “mixed bag”, but as it is in golf, a week can change it all.
Leaderboard: 69: Arjun Prasad, Mithun Perera, Chiragh Kumar, N Thangaraja, Karan Taunk; 70: OP Chouhan, Ashok Kumar, Arjun Singh, Anura Rohana, Sachin Baisoya, Yuvraj Sandhu (A), Abhishek Jha