Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma put together his best round of 2025 as he carded a six-under 66 to be tied-4th on the weather-affected opening day of the Investec South African Open Championship.
Sharma, who has missed all four cuts on the DP World Tour this season, had five birdies and an eagle against one bogey.
The lead was shared by Sam Bairstow (65) and Fredrik From, who landed two eagles.
Sharma started with a birdie on the tenth and added more gains on the 14th, 15th and 17th. The eagle on the third had him 6-under before he dropped his only shot of the day on the fifth. A closing birdie on the ninth saw him sign the card at 6-under 66.
This week Sharma is the only Indian in the field as Veer Ahlawat was unable to make the main draw.
The first round was delayed by three hours after heavy rain at Durban Country Club on Tuesday night led to areas of the course being submerged.
A mammoth effort from greenkeeping staff saw play get under way at 09:20 local time, with morning starters Bairstow and From signing for superb 65s to share the lead with the charging Darren Fichardt, who still had four holes to play in the first round.
England's Bairstow carded eight birdies and a solitary bogey. The highlight of his round was an enormous birdie putt on the par-four fifth.
Swede From, who has plenty of experience of playing in South Africa on the Sunshine Tour, made two eagles, four birdies and one bogey, while home favourite Fichardt birdied seven of his first 14 holes before play was suspended due to darkness at 18.20.
With Sharma in tied fourth were Richie Ramsay, Jayden Schaper, Haotong Li and Todd Clements at 66.
Starting from the tenth tee, Bairstow turned in 32 blows after making birdies on the 13th, 14th, 16th and 18th. After picking up another shot on the par-five third, Bairstow drained his monster birdie putt from around 50 feet at the fifth to join the lead.
He then sandwiched his only bogey of the day at the seventh between birdies on the sixth and eighth before safely parring the ninth to sign for a 65.
South African five-time DP World Tour champion Fichardt birdied the second, third, fifth, sixth, tenth, 13th and 14th to join the early co-leaders at the top just before the later starters ran out of daylight.
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