By IANS
New Delhi : Jyoti Randhawa could not hold back that smile. A smile that almost seemed to suggest that he owned the Delhi Golf Club, where he took the first day’s honours and led with a seven-under 65 at the EMAAR-MGF Indian Masters Thursday.
“Delhi Golf Club, what can I say, it doesn’t leave me alone. It keeps me under pressure all the time. Yeah, I played well. You can’t ask for a better round the first round,” said Randhawa, whose card included two eagles and three birdies.
That may well have been the understatement of the day, from a man, who has won five times, including four times on the Asian Tour on this course.
Talking of his grandstand finish with an eagle, Randhawa said: “Yeah, well, with the new bunker, it (18th) becomes a very narrow hole because you really can’t hit your driver, because if you hit it a little right, it’s going to go in the bush. And I saw Mark (O’Meara) and Adam (Groom) hit the ball to the right and I thought, I think it’s better to lay up short, and I did that.”
“I laid up with a 3-wood, hit another 3-wood, hit a perfect second 3-wood to about 15, 20 feet, and luckily Mark was putting before me so I saw the line. I knew it was going to break right-to-left, and after seeing his ball, I knew exactly how it was going to break. It was go to school and learn from others and I made that putt spot on and perfect speed, perfect putt, great.”
Speaking of his other eagle on the 14th, he said: “I hit a good drive. I just had a 6-iron to the green. I wanted to start it right of the hole and bring it back in, and when I started it back on line, it didn’t draw; I wanted it to draw well, I should say. I pitched it five yards right of where I wanted to, but the slope helped me and it came in, and I came perfect next to the hole, and after that, it was just a matter — it wasn’t a very long putt, so I was happy to make that putt.”
Speaking on what he though of the course now, about which he said on Thursday that it was not in ‘great condition’ for a big event, he smiled and said: “No, I guess it’s good. The 7th hole is a bit too long. I think the way the green is set up, I hit a 2-iron into that hole, and I’m long enough, I’m quite sure all the guys must have hit 3-wood there, and so that hole with the 2-iron in hand doesn’t look very good. It’s a good hole to try anyway, but other than that, I think it’s all right.”
“I wish the greens were a little better but I think the greens keeper has done a good job. I think they are rolling very true. They are a little patchy. But all in all, the course is in great shape. They did a good job of what they had, so it’s good.”
When asked how he prepared for the DGC, Randhawa said: “Well, I think past performance helps a lot. I’ve played well here in the past. I’ve won a few tournaments. I just thought of what I did a few years back or a few months back, and that always comes back to me.
“So I think any time you have a good performance, I like to remember that, so I like to remember what I did good. That’s what I did, I thought of what I had to do and I kept bringing the thought of what I needed to do before I hit, so it worked out very well.”
On the pressure of leading, Randhawa felt: “Well, the pressure is always there, even today, and it’s going to be there for the next few days. After all, it’s your home course, your home — you’re playing in Delhi Golf Club and you’re playing with the best in the world. Yeah, I guess the pressure is always there.”
Continuing on the aggression he displayed, he added: “I know that, you know, you can’t shoot a 7-under and be happy about it and sit on it, because it’s The European Tour and people shoot really low numbers here. Whenever you get a chance, I’m going to get aggressive.
“I’m not saying that the Asian Tour is any less or the Indian Tour is any less, but there you can get away with making — not making as many birdies, but when you get on The European Tour, you have to make a lot of birdies. So unless you’re not aggressive, you have to take a risk, and today it was a reward and I’m happy with that.”