Sports India

Jyoti Randhawa had a superb back nine at the Gut Kaden Golf and Land Club, but cooled off on his second nine for card a four-under 68 to be tied 21st after the first round of the Deutsche Bank Players’ Championship of Europe.

India’s other challenger, Shiv Kapur brought in a level par round of 72 and was tied 103rd, needing a good second round to make the weekend.

Meanwhile, Lee Westwood led the field at nine-under 63 after a bogey-free round which gave him a one-shot lead over South African Retief Goosen and Robert Karlsson of Sweden.

The 33-year-old Westwood has twice won at Gut Kaden in the past. One of his wins came in 2000 when he beat Tiger Woods on the final day.

Randhawa, starting on the 10th, birdied the first two holes he played and added two more on 15th and 18th to make the turn at four-under.

On the second nine, the front half of the course, Randhawa bogeyed the fourth and birdied the sixth.

Kapur, who played the British Open last week, had a roller-coaster of a round with two birdies but followed both of them by bogeys to finish at par.

If Westwood wins, it could put him in contention for a place in the European Ryder Cup team that faces the United States at K Club in Ireland in September.

Also in line for a place on the team is second placed Karlsson, who seven weeks ago won in the Celtic Manor Wales Open.

Sharing fourth place was Frenchman Gregory Havret with a flawless 65, a card similar to compatriot Jean-Francois Remesy and European Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam.