Anirban Lahiri Opens With 74 in Fiji International Golf

Flying from one end of the world to the other and trying to get used to a 19-hour time difference, Anirban Lahiri shot an opening round of two-over 74 on the first day of the inaugural Fiji International here on Thursday.

Lahiri is tied for 68th and will need a good second round to ensure action on the weekend.

Lahiri, who played and missed the cut at the PGA Championships in Valhalla, Kentucky in United States, had a double bogey on first and later found four birdies including three in a row from ninth to 11th. He also had four bogeys. At one stage Lahiri was four-over after six holes, but recovered well to shoot 74.

Unheralded Chinese golfer Wang Minghao produced a standout performance to take a share of the first round lead in the inaugural Fiji International. The 24-year-old, who once played golf with Tiger Woods when he was 12, fired a four-under-par 68 at Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course.

He sits atop a packed leaderboard along with Australians Rhein Gibson, David McKenzie, Jake Higginbottom, Andrew Dodt, Stephen Dartnall, and Jason Scrivener.

The event's star attraction and designer of the course Fiji's Vijay Singh fired a one-over-par 73, while Zimbabwean Nick Price carded the same score.