Shiv Kapur stars in Abu Dhabi

Report by Anand Datla

January 25, 2015: Thai star Thongchai Jaidee outshone a stellar field that included Rory McIlroy to take his team to the top in the Abu Dhabi Pro-Am invitational. Indian Shiv Kapur helped his team to T2 after making a 67 in the first round. Jaidee was the best of the men on show, shooting a spotless 65 that included 7 birdies.

Kapur started his day with a bogey at the par-5 second hole, but a hat-trick of birdies restored his confidence which helped him carry his team through the day. He made an eagle at the par-5 seventh hole as he went on to make the turn in 33 shots.

Kapur had a relatively sedate run on the back nine, firing birdies at the 13th and 17th holes for a score of 34. Kapur’s partner Miki Mirza scored a commendable 74 to close round 1 at 10-under just one shot behind the leading pair.

Jaidee went through the front nine with just a single birdie, which came at the second hole. What followed came without warning, swamping the rest of the field in its brilliance. The Thai golfer started with a pair of birdies on the back nine as he produced a hot streak to race away into the lead.

Jaidee’s rampage included six birdies in eight holes as he went on to close the first round with a brilliant 65, just 30 of those shots needed to complete his last nine holes. Jaidee’s partner Gabriel Batistuta’s card of 81 was far from graceful – two bogeys, two double bogeys and a gruesome eleven at the par-5 18th hole tainted the team’s effort. Even then Team Jaidee had done enough to gain a one shot lead at the end of the first round.

Jeev Milkha Singh was playing with Maqsood Ahmed. Jeev scored five birdies and four bogeys for a 71. His team mate made an 83 as they were lying T14 at 7-under through 18 holes. The event is being played on the Stableford Better Ball system, which should explain the low scoring despite some dreadful scoring from the amateur partners.