By IANS,
Melbourne : Indo-Swede golfer Daniel Chopra opened with a hat-trick of birdies and finished with a card of two-under 70 for tied seventh at the end of first round of the Sportsbet Australian Masters here Thursday.
However, things were not too good for India’s Shiv Kapur, who had a disastrous second nine, the front stretch of the Huntingdale course, and finished with a card of six-over 78 that placed him tied 133rd and will miss the cut unless he comes up with a stunning second round.
Scott Hend and South African Tim Clark were the clubhouse leaders on a day when a violent electrical storm swept across Huntingdale during the first round. That delayed play for almost three hours. Later in the evening another 90 minutes of play was possible when the weather cleared up.
The break was a blessing for Clark who picked up two strokes when he returned to complete his final four holes in conditions far more benign than when play was postponed.
The highlight of Clark’s earlier exploits was a pair of eagles at the 535 yard par five seventh, and the 495 yard par five tenth, both of which were playing downwind.
A total of 48 players will need to complete their unfinished first rounds Friday morning, none of which is of any great concern to Hend who signed at lunchtime for a five-under 67.
Hend and Clark lead by two shots from Australians Anthony Brown and Michael Wright and England’s Daniel Wardrop who completed rounds of 69.