Golf: Shubhankar Sharma starts well in Round 1 DP World Tour in Hainan

Hainan (China), April 25 (IANS) Shubhankar Sharma opened with a 3-under 69 in the Hainan Classic on the DP World Tour at the Blackstone Course in Mission Hills Resort Haikou in Hainan Island.

After missing the cut in Shanghai last week, Sharma began with 69 and was Tied-17 as the first round ended early on Friday.

Sharma, who missed the cut last despite a strong day 2, was 2-under through 14 holes before play was suspended. He had two birdies and then next morning had an eagle and a bogey for a 69.

Haotong Li has played a round in the 60’s for the 14th time in his last 19 rounds to catapult himself in the top spot alongside Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Kristoffer Reitan.

Haotong Li had seven birdies and one bogie to finish 6 under par for the day.

Li produced four birdies and a bogey on the front nine for a score of three-under and three birdies on the back nine for a score of three-under.

Aphibarnrat had eight birdies and two bogeys with three birdies and a bogey on both the front and back nines.

Reitan had 5 birdies, one bogey and one eagle for his 6-under total.

There were seven players who carded 5-under 67 in the first round.

Earlier, Sharma bounced back from an 82 in the first round with 69 in the second but failed to make the cut at the Volvo China Open 2025 on the DP World Tour at the Enhance Anting Golf Club in Shanghai.

Sharma, who started the second round from the tenth had a bogey on the 12th but birdied the 14th and the 18th to be 1-under at the turn. On the second nine, he had four birdies, a bogey, and a double bogey on the ninth for a 69.

Despite improving his score by 13 shots as compared to the first day, Sharma has failed to make the cut for the first time after the Magical Kenya Open nearly two months back. In these two months, Shubhankar played four events including the Hero Indian Open 2025, and made the cut in all of them.

--IANS

ab/