Mukesh, Bhandari begin with a bang

Vivek Bhandari, who owes a lot to the city of Pune, and Mukesh Kumar, who wants to get even with the Poona Club Golf Course, got off to flying starts on the opening day of the Rs One million Hero Honda Open West, which got under way at the par-71 course, on Wednesday.

Mukesh, currently the money list leader on the Hero Honda Indian Golf Tour and searching for his 11th title of the season, and Bhandari shot rounds of four-under 67 each to enjoy a one-stroke lead over Amandeep Johl.

Defending champion Feroz Ali, his younger brother Rafiq, and S Madaiah were tied for the fourth place at two-under 69.

Bhandari is a big fan of Pune, especially the Iyengar Yoga Institute where he underwent a month-long session to overcome a career-threatening neck injury in 2001.

"I would like to thank B K S Iyengar and Ms Geetha for putting my neck right and making this round possible. I consulted so many specialists but none of them could help me," said the Delhi-based golfer, who started with bogies on the first and third holes, but settled down to make six birdies thereafter.

Bhandari, who is slowly discovering his form after a none-too-impressive 2002, made his first birdie on the ninth and came back in 31, saving strokes on the tenth, 14th, 15th, 16th and 18th.

"I missed several birdie opportunities on the front nine, but that never frustrated me. I was very happy with attitude on the course today. I kept telling myself that I was putting well and they would start dropping eventually," he said.

Mukesh missed several birdie opportunities in a bogey-free round of 67, which happens to be his best round at the Poona Club course.

"If I could have read my line of putts better, I would have created a course record that would have been difficult to beat. But there is no place for ifs and buts in golf," said Mukesh after the round.

The Mhow-based player birdied the fifth and sixth hole during his outward journey, and saved further strokes on the 10th and 18th.

The SAIL-sponsored Johl is playing his first event on the Hero Honda Indian Golf Tour after a gap of almost one year. The Chandigarh pro, who has played several impressive rounds on the Asian PGA Tour in the last couple of years, is searching for his first victory after the 1994 Surya Nepal Masters.

"I have been playing well and I can feel that I am close to a title. A victory is a victory, whether it is in Singapore or Pune. I am craving to get that winning feeling again," said the 34-year-old Johl after the round.

Johl played extremely well and missed only two greens in regulation -- the 13th and 16th -- and he ended up with bogies there. He made five birdies and missed at least five from less than four feet during the round.

"My hitting was great, but I cannot say the same about my putting," he said.

Scores (after 18 holes): 67 _ Mukesh Kumar, Vivek Bhandari; 68 _ Amandeep Johl; 69 _ Feroz Ali, Rafiq Ali, S Madaiah; 70 _ R Murthy; 71 _ SSP Chowrasia, C Muniappa, Pappan, Gast Ram, Sheeraz Kalra, Asgar Ali, Balbir Singh Verma; 72 _ Indrajit Bhalotia, Ranjit Singh, Sachin Nigade, Sanjay Kumar, Yusuf Ali, Mohd Islam, Jaideep Patwardhan-A; 73 _ Amritinder Singh, Mohd Salim, Naman Dawar, Bhoop Singh, KPS Sekhon, Jumman, Prakash Kubde, Rezwan Ali.