Rough start for Kapur, Rai at Dunhill links

St. Andrews (UK): Indian golfers Shiv Kapur (71) and Himmat Rai (74) made less-than-impressive starts on the opening day of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship being played over three courses here.

Kapur played with former Dutch footballer Ruud Gullit at the St. Andrew and shot a one-under 71 with three birdies, all on the front nine, and two bogeys, one on either side of the turn. He was lying 76th, but fellow Indian Himmat Rai, making his maiden appearance at this event, carded a 74 which comprised a birdie and three bogeys. Rai was lying 140th. South African Branden Grace equalled the European Tour record with a round of 60 at Kingsbarns to lead after the first round. The 24-year-old Grace, who has already won three European Tour titles this season, knocked two strokes off Lee Westwood`s course record thanks to an eagle and 10 birdies -- five of them in a row. Fourteen players have now shot 60 on the European Tour and Darren Clarke has done it twice. Grace could well have come to 59 but had to be satisfied with a 60. The Pretoria golfer leads Victor Dubuisson by two, the Frenchman`s 62 at St Andrews also being a course record, while many of the big guns were left trailing after they battled with the far tougher Carnoustie. When Westwood had his 62 at Kingsbarns in 2003 it included an albatross two on the ninth, but Grace needed nothing as extraordinary as that. "I never really made anything long," he said. "It was all 12 to 15 footers and it`s nice just to have a bogey-free round on a links. We were lucky with the weather, but you still have to get it in the right spots and get it around." PTI