Golf:Indian Shiv Kapur had six successive birdies and raced into an early three-stroke lead in the Czech Open at the Prosper Resort in Celadna today. The 28-year-old has missed his last three halfway cuts and seven of the last nine, but made his burst from the second to seventh holes and turned in a six under par 30.
England’s Miles Tunnicliff, without a top 10 finish since the first tournament of the year and down at 197th on the Tour money list, also recaptured form to be three under midway through his opening round.
But it was harder work for those with Ryder Cup ambitions on their return from the US PGA Championship in Wisconsin. Miguel Angel Jimenez, eighth on the points table, mixed two birdies with two bogeys in his first seven holes on the course he co-designed.
Ross McGowan, 11th in the standings and needing a top four finish to push Paul Casey out of an automatic spot, started with a double bogey seven at the long 10th, but did then come back with birdies on the 14th and 16th.
Oliver Wilson and Simon Dyson were level par and one over respectively. Wilson followed two opening birdies with a double bogey, while Dyson’s only deviation from par in his first eight holes was a bogey on the 14th.
He would overtake Casey with a win on Sunday, while Wilson needs a big week just to give himself a chance of climbing into the top nine at next week’s race-ending Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.
Belfast’s Michael Hoey, on one under, is the leading Irish player among the early starters. Shane Lowry (one over), Damien McGrane (two over) and Gary Murphy (five over) have all struggled to get to grips with he Prosper Resort course.