Gurugram, March 10, 2017: The second round is underway at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram. The first day of the Hero Indian Open was a challenge to the golfers with just 23 men breaking par. There is a nip in the air around the course, so the morning will yet again be key to the fortunes of golfers. David Horsey played some stellar golf to emerge unscathed with a mighty six under 66 on a golf course where most men suffered.
The course will play softer in the first half, before the Sun bakes it down its regular pacy self. Barring the first, fourth and ninth, every hole is averaging above par, indicating the difficulty of dealing with the course.
There were a whopping 155 scores at double bogey or worse on a first day that saw plenty of golfers bleeding shots. The 18th hole conceded three eagles, but also contributed to 40 scores of bogey or worse. As Anirban Lahiri said yesterday, there are holes on this course where a bogey is a decent livelihood choice.
The cards are a bleeding mess
The 4th, 8th, 15th and 18th holes are vital to the well-being of golfers. Measuring an imposing 2391 yards together, they may seem like a driver’s paradise. In reality though, a more calculated approach, picking spots and shaping well might be key to success.
The final hole especially demands respect from the golfers. The tee shot needs to sail past a deep ravine that distracts as well as taunts the vision of the golfer. With a massive lake to the left, it is essential to find the fairway off the tee to even make par.
With the layout turning right to left, shape is the key to a good second shot. The green is large and well protected by bunkers on the left, so any hint of over ambition can get penalized, especially when the pin is set to the back.
It will be an educating experience watching the golfers plan their second round, after most of them were chastened by the petulant course on Thursday.
