The four-time IGPL winner, Bhullar, who is also the most successful Indian player in Asian Tour history with 11 wins, is now Tied-18th. He is the best among the 10 Indians playing this week at the par-73 Red Course of Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
Bhullar trails the Thai star Pavit Tangkamolprasert, the runner-up at the International Series Japan earlier this year, who shot 8-under 65. Pavit was two ahead of Travis Smyth (67), who was the winner in Japan. Smyth was tied for second position alongside Korean Younghan Song, who was bogey-free in his 67.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
While Bhullar was T-18, the next best Indians were Karandeep Kochhar, Shaurya Bhattacharya, SSP Chawrasia, and Ajeetesh Sandhu, all of whom shot 1-under 72 each to be T-40. Anirban Lahiri, the only Indian on the LIV League, carded even par 73 and was T-60.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rashid Khan (75) was T-108, Shubham Jaglan (76) was T-123, Aryan Roopa Anand (80) was T-152, and Udayan Mane (83) was T-155, and all of them will need very low second rounds to have a chance to stay on for the weekend.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Bhullar, whose last Asian Tour win came in the second half of 2023 in his favourite country, Indonesia, has played only three World Ranking events with a T-26 in Singapore as his best. He was T-27 at the AM Green IGPL Bharath Classic last week in Morocco, but at the Mazagan Beach Golf Resort.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Bhullar opened with four pars before finding his first birdie. He parred the sixth and then had a hat-trick of birdies to turn in 4-under. On the back, yet another gain on the 12th hole saw him rise to 5-under. Then came the downturn as he dropped shots on the 13th, 15th, and 17th. He closed with a consolation birdie to card 70.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Karandeep Kochhar rode a roller-coaster. He bogeyed his first three holes before finding his first par. Then he had a superb run of four birdies in four holes and parred the ninth to be 1-under at the turn. On the back nine, he bogeyed the 10th and birdied the 17th to stay at 1-under for the day.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Pavit started on the back nine of the course and made four birdies before the turn. He then made five pars on the trot, before scripting a superb finish of four straight birdies.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Smyth, who has won twice this year at The International Series Japan and on the PGA Tour of Australasia, has also played a couple of events on LIV Golf, standing in for an injured Paul Casey in Bryson DeChambeau\u2019s Crushers GC.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
American Andy Ogletree, who has three International Series titles, showed a return to form with a storming finish that included an eagle-birdie finish in his five-under 68.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Smyth, who has won twice this year at The International Series Japan and on the PGA Tour of Australasia, has also played a couple of events on LIV Golf, standing in for an injured Paul Casey in Bryson DeChambeau\u2019s Crushers GC.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Among the various LIV Golf stars in the field, Bubba Watson shot a four-under 69, while Korea Golf Club\u2019s Doyeob Mun was tied 18th with a 70. Sergio Garcia had a rough day with 74.<\/p>\r\n\r\n