Veteran Indian golfer Rahil Gangjee carded a flawless four-under 66 to emerge as the best-placed Indian after the opening day of the Jakarta International Championship on Thursday. The event is being played at the Damai Indah Golf PIK Course and is part of the Asian Tour schedule.
Steady show from Gangjee
The 47-year-old Gangjee, a two-time Asian Tour winner, rolled in birdies on the 9th, 13th, 14th and 16th holes to stay bogey-free. His composed effort left him three shots adrift of the clubhouse lead and gave him a solid platform for the next rounds.
Bhullar in strong position
Gaganjeet Bhullar, another experienced Indian, was also at four-under but could not complete his round, stopping after 16 holes due to fading light. Earlier in the day, play had been disrupted by rain, leading to a backlog. Among other Indians, Khalin Joshi and Viraj Madappa shot identical two-under rounds, while a few others struggled to find momentum.
Leaderboard dominated by Thailand’s Prateeptienchai
Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai set the pace with a brilliant seven-under 63. He was closely followed by Wade Ormsby of Australia, Roberto Lebrija of Mexico and Chang Wei-lun of Chinese Taipei, all of whom carded 64s.
Weather halts play
With 45 players unable to finish their rounds due to darkness, the first round will resume on Friday morning before the second round begins. The stop-start nature of play is expected to make conditions more challenging for the field.
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