Scottish Open golf: India's Shubhankar Sharma makes good start, opens with two-under 68 in first round

Gullane (Scotland): Shubhankar Sharma gave himself a good start with two-under 68 but SSP Chawrasia after 17 pars, had a bogey in the final hole to finish the first day at one-over 71 after opening round at the ASI Scottish Open on Thursday. Sharma, playing the Scottish Open for the first time, was tied-42nd with a lot of players still out on the course. [caption id=“attachment_4253851” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Shubhankar Sharma. AFP[/caption] Five players had a share of the lead. American Rickie Fowler, Spain’s Scott Fernandez, Swede Jen Danthorp and Englishman Robert Rock finished at six-under 64, and later in the evening Lee Westwood joined them. Patrick Reed, who was six-under through front nine stayed there till the 15th before unexpectedly dropping a shot on Par-5 16th. He had two more holes to play. Sharma is playing only his third event on European soil, said, last week’s Irish Open was my first look at a Links course and I liked it. But I did not play too well and missed the cut. The two days of (extra) practice I got seemed to help with a 2-under card. Sharma, who birdied both Par-5s at the course, added, I really did not convert many of the putts 10-foot or thereabouts. There were just two I managed from that distance and I had a lip out but I also a chip-in. Fowler, winner here in 2015 at the same course, had five birdies, one bogey and an eagle in his round. At 5-under through and then 7-under through 12, he seemed set to break the course record of 63. He had three birdies in a row from 2nd to 4th and and eagle-2 on Par-4 sixth to be 5-under through. He also birdied the 11th and 12th got him to get to 7-under, but then dropped a shot on 13th and had no birdies for a round of 64. Fowler’s last title was the Hero World Challenge in December and he also won the 2015 Scottish Open, but is yet to win a Major. Rock had no bogeys in his 64, while Fernandez had six birdies, an eagle and two bogeys, while Danthorp was also flawless with four birdies and an eagle on sixth. Nine players were at 5-under and of them England’s Matthew Southgate, South African Richard Sterne, Scotland’s Peter Whiteford and France’s Julien Guerrier, had finished. However, Reed, Dylan Fritelli, Luke List and Robert Karlsson were still on the course.