Ashok blasts eight-under 62 for DDA Open lead

New Delhi, Apr 4 (UNI) Ashok Kumar dominated a low scoring day with a flawless eight-under 62, which propelled him into the opening round lead at the Rs 10-lakh DDA Open Championship being played at the par 70 Qutab Golf Course here today.

Defending champion Mukesh Kumar was tied second with Digvijay Singh two strokes behind the leader at six-under 64.

Lucknow's Vijay Kumar and Bangalore's C Muniyappa occupied the tied fourth place at 65.

Ashok, the fourth ranked golfer on the Amby Valley PGAI Tour Money List, began on the first and wasted little time in birdying that hole. He went on to birdie the third, fourth, seventh, eighth and ninth before making the turn.

On the back nine, he notched up two more birdies on the 12th and 14th.

Starting off from the 10th tee, Mukesh struck form right away with a hat-trick of birdies. A bogey on the 15th, his only one of the day, was followed by birdies on the 17th, third, fifth and seventh.

Digvijay Singh, despite playing his first round of golf in a week, let loose a splurge of birdies on the fourth, sixth, ninth, 12th 13th, 15th and 16th and but for an unfortunate bogey finish to his round, he would have occupied the sole second position. The bogey came about after the 34-year-old's driver found the base of a tree and he finally missed out on a six feet par putt on the green.

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