Weak starts for Sharma and Kapur in Wales
Newport (Wales): Indian golfers Shubhankar Sharma and Shiv Kapur endured disappointing starts, carding three-over 74 and eight-over 79 respectively, at the ISPS Handa Wales Open here.
Sharma was one-under through 11 holes but bogeyed the 12th and finished the day with three bogeys in a row at the Celtic Manor Resort.
Kapur did not find a birdie the whole day and dropped bogeys on the first and 12th. Then disaster struck him when he had a quadruple bogey on the par-three 13th, which pushed him down further and he ended with eight-over 79.
Both Sharma and Kapur will need very strong second rounds to have a chance of making the cut.
This is Kapur's first start since March, while Sharma has missed two cuts in last three starts on the UK Swing.
Jordan Smith and Connor Syme share the lead after the opening round. This week's event is the second in succession over the Twenty Ten Course at the Wales venue, which famously held the 2010 Ryder Cup.
They shot 66 each, while four players including Syme's countryman Robert MacIntyre, playing in his first UK Swing event, were two shots behind in a share of third on three-under 68.
The others at 68 were Kurt Kitayama of the USA, England's Callum Shinkwin and Swede Sebastian Soderberg.
Sam Horsfield, winner of Hero Open and Celtic Classic and chasing a third win in four events, carded two-over 73.
