Kapil Kumar, Akshay Sharma take joint lead on opening day

Delhi's Kapil Kumar and Chandigarh's Akshay Sharma struck scores of five-under-67 to take the joint lead on the opening day of the PGTI Players Championship at the Classic Golf & Country Club here Tuesday.

Delhi golfers Himmat Singh Rai and Naman Dawar and Kolkata's Sunit Chowrasia were tied for third at four-under-68.

India's highest-ranked golfer Shubhankar Sharma, who returned to play on the PGTI after over a year, began his week with a two-under-70 that placed him tied 11th.

Kapil, who finished 18th on the 2018 PGTI Order of Merit, was off to a solid start on Tuesday. The 26-year-old made the turn at two-under after leaving himself a few short birdie conversions.

Kapil, yet to register his first win, recovered well after a bogey on the 12th as he sank eagle-birdie-birdie on the 14th, 15th and 16th as a result of conversions from 10 to 15 feet. He finally ended the day with an impressive 67 after bogey-birdie on the last two holes.

"It was the driving and putting that clicked ..