It was a good start for the Indians, as Krishnav Nikhil Chopraa emerged as the top Indian in Tied-12th place and Vedant Sirohi, a second timer at Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships, was Tied-16th on a wet, windy, and challenging day at Taiheiyo Golf Club Gotemba.
Chopraa, son of former India cricketer, Nikhil Chopra, shot 2-under 68, his best in three AAC appearances. Sirohi carded 1-under 69 on a day when scoring was tough and only 23 players among the 120 starters shot under par.
Kartik Singh, the highest ranked Indian, rallied from an early double and even reached 1-under, but a bogey-bogey finish saw him score 1-over 71 and was T-31, while Rakshit Dahiya, who attended an AAC Academy camp at the same course, shot 75 and was T-69.
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In a tournament that has been dominated by the Chinese and Japanese, an Indonesian Randy Bintang, a 10th tee starter, with 5-under 65 took the sole lead. Two years ago, Bintang shot nine birdies in a round of 66 and tied the record for most in a single round in AAC but missed the cut as he shot 79 in the first round.
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Hong Kong China’s Wang Ngai Shen shot 4-under 66 and shared the second place with Japan’s Rintaro Nakano and debutant Taishi Moto, also from Japan.
Nakano’s experience includes starts at pro event on PGA Tour, Japan Tour and T-4 on DPWT’s ISPS Handa tournament at this course. His 66 included an eagle and two birdies and no bogeys. Seven players, including Wenyi Ding, who lost a three-way play-off for the AAC title last year.
Chopraa played a mature round and did not allow the wind or an early struggle on the 10th (his first hole) where he did manage a par, and a bogey on the 11th. He birdied the third and the sixth and turned in 1-under. The 19-year-old Chopraa, who plays college at Long Island, US, added two birdies against one bogey on the back nine for 68.
“I played my first nine, the back stretch of the course, well, but didn’t hit it well for my second half,” said Chopraa. “I didn’t have a great start. On my first hole, the tenth it was confusing. I hit a 4-Iron and a 6-Iron, and I just about got away with a par. On Par-5 11th, I bogeyed. Then after that I played well. I got birdies on 12th and almost holed my second shot on the 16th (his seventh).”
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Vedant, who plays college golf at the Webber International University, had a great start with birdies on the third and the sixth as his approach shots were inside five feet and two feet. He bogeyed the ninth but hit a superb shot with Gap Wedge on the Par-4 14th to four feet for a birdie. He bogeyed the 15th and finished at 1-under 69.
Kartik, 14, playing his second AAC, had a double bogey on the 11th after starting from the 10th. He fought back with birdies on the 16th and the 18th and turned in even par 35. On his second nine, he birdied the third, but bogeyed the fifth and again birdied the Par-3 seventh to be 1-under. Then came two bogeys on the eighth and ninth and he went over par to 71 in a round that had numerous visits to the bunker.
