Ghei leads with a three-under 68

Gaurav Ghei manfully handled the tough course conditions and took sole possession on top of the leaderboard after the opening round of the Rs 2.5 million Honda-Siel PGA Championship, which began at the par-71 DLF Golf and Country Club, in Delhi, on Thursday.

In the biggest event on the Hero Honda Indian Golf Tour, Ghei returned a three-under 68 and was followed by a trio of previous winners -- defending champion Arjun Singh, twice champion Uttam Singh Mundy and 1999 winner Vijay Kumar - each carding two-under 69s. On a day when only nine players managed to break par, there was five-way tie for the fifth place. The pack included Ashok Kumar (Delhi), Mohammed Islam (Patna), Yusuf Ali, Rafiq Ali and Mohammed Salim (all Kolkata).

The India Cements-sponsored Ghei, who recently had a stint with Italian coach Donato di Poznano, was in sublime form for most part of his round except for a stretch of three holes, starting from the par-4 12th. On the 12th, he missed the green with his second and on the par-5 14th, he was stymied by a tree on the left side after a pulled tee shot, from where he had to hack out before reaching the green with his fourth shot. He made bogies on both the holes and drained a 15-footer putt to save par on the 15th.

Otherwise, Ghei took on the difficult and long course and made six birdies and a bogey on the fifth, apart from the two on 12th and 14th.

"I played solid except for the sudden loss of rhythm on those three holes," said the Delhi-based Ghei, who later made birdies on the 15th and 16th.

How good was his ball-striking can be gauged by the fact that four of his six birdies were inside the gimme range of two feet. His remaining two birdies came when he drained a 18-footer putt on the third hole and a monstrous 25-footer on the 11th hole.

"It is just the kind of start I was looking for and I hope I can capitalise on this," added Ghei, who finished runner-up in the season-opening Royal Springs Open.

Arjun, who shot a six-under 65 in the pro-am on Wednesday, could have replicated his score but for several putts that stopped agonisingly short of birdies. The 33-year-old Delhi player was consistency personified as he made three birdies and just one bogey, which came when he overclubbed with a 7-iron on the par-3 eighth hole and failed to make his up-and-down from the back bunker.

"It is difficult to go low two days in a row, especially on a course like this. I was hitting the ball well but not getting close enough to the pins. Also, I putted okay but they just did not drop today," said Arjun who completed the round with 30 putts.

Mundy made five birdies but was undone by three bogies, two of them resulting from three-putts. Vijay Kumar made is back-to-back birdies on the ninth and 10th, but thereafter, he nulled two further birdies with bogies.

Current Money List leader Mukesh Kumar failed to convert several birdie opportunities and finished with a one-over 72 to be tied for the 16th place.

Wallie Coatsee of South Africa and Steve Kent of Australia were the best among the foreigners at one-over 72.

Reigning Hero Honda Masters champion Harmeet Kahlon and Feroz Ali were among those tied for 10th place at 71.

SCORES (after 18 holes): 68 _ Gaurav Ghei; 69 _ Arjun Singh, Uttam Singh Mundy, Vijay Singh; 70 _ Rafique Ali, Ashok Kumar, Mohammed Islam, Yusuf Ali, Mohammed Salim; 71 _ Indrajit Bhalotia, V Arumugam, Jaiveer Virk, Feroz Ali, Monish Bindra, Harmeet Kahlon.

Amateur: 73 _ Manav Jaini; 74 _ Ajay Jadeja, Karanjit Singh; 75 _ Kapil Dev