Hilversum: Shiv Kapur had his best start of the season as he was lying tied third after carding an impressive 66 in the opening round of the KLM Open.
Kapur, currently 113th on the Money List, was the highest placed among four Indians in the field.
Kapur was one shot behind joint leaders, Simon Dyson and Marcel Siem, who had five-under 65 each. Dyson has twice won the KLM Open title in past five years.
The other three Indians, Jeev Milkha Singh, SSP Chowrasia and Gaganjeet Bhullar all shot identical 71 and were lying tied 73rd, and needed a steady second round to make the cut.
The top-65 and ties make the cut.
The opening was delayed first by vandals and then by a flooded course, with four greens damaged by overnight intruders. Then there was a 45-minute hold-up to complete repairs and a further three and a half hours lost because of the weather.
Kapur opening with a birdie on the first, had four other birdies and just one bogey on fourth. His other birdies came on eighth, 12th, 13th and 18th. Kapur was one of the five players at four-under 66.
Chowrasia had three bogeys and two birdies, all on back nine. Bhullar also had three bogeys and two birdies, while Jeev three birdies, including one on the 18th, and four bogeys, three of them on front nine.
Lee Westwood (70) was 42nd while Rory McIlroy (71) was 73rd and Martin Kaymer (74) at 127th were in danger zones of missing the cut.
PTI
First Published: Friday, September 09, 2011, 17:17