Golf: Gandas makes another super start with 66 in Prague

Manu Gandas enjoyed an excellent start for the second week in a row as he shot 6-under 66 to be tied seventh after the first round of the D+D REAL Czech Masters

Prague: India’s Manu Gandas enjoyed an excellent start for the second week in a row as he shot 6-under 66 to be tied seventh after the first round of the D+D REAL Czech Masters here.

Gandas, a DLF Academy product, who came into the DP World Tour, after topping the Indian PGTI Tour in 2022, started the back nine and had seven birdies against just one bogey.

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Gandas, who began last week’s ISPS Handa Invitational with a similar 66, was T-20 then, but his game showed that he was finally settling into the European circuit.

The Indian was three shots behind the first round leader, Sami Välimäki who carded his lowest round since January as he signed for a nine under par 63 to take a two-stroke lead.

Gandas started from the tenth and was off in style with four birdies in the first six holes. He dropped his only shot on the 17th. On his second nine he finished with three birdies in his last four holes with gains on sixth, eighth and ninth.

With Shubhankar Sharma taking some time off, Gandas is the lone Indian in the field.

Valimaki, the Finn, who won the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award in 2020, started the day at Albatross Golf Resort with five consecutive birdies as he raced into the lead in the Czech capital.

After making the turn at five under, he recorded four further gains to sign for a bogey-free 63, his lowest round since signing for a 62 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

He is two shots clear of a chasing pack which includes Ryder Cup hopefuls Alexander Björk from Sweden and Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard.

They are joined in a share of second on seven under par by Englishman Todd Clements, Ryo Hisatsune of Japan and Germany’s Max Schmitt.

Robert MacIntyre, who occupies the final available Ryder Cup qualification place on the European Points list, shares seventh place with Yannik Paul as the pair bid for a debut Ryder Cup appearance at Marco Simone.

Paul is just 90 points behind MacIntyre on the European Points list, with this week being the penultimate qualifying event.
Joining them on six under par are Ryder Cup vice captain Edoardo Molinari and Gandas of India.