Shiv Kapur tied 3 after flawless opening round

Baltray, Ireland:

Delhi pro Shiv Kapur blasted a bogey-free six-under 66 to lie tied third but compatriots Jyoti Randhawa and SSP Chowrasia stared at early exit after poor opening rounds in The 3 Irish Open golf tournament here.

Playing his back nine first, Shiv parred the first six holes before reeling off back-to-back birdies and completing the stretch with a par shot.

On his front nine, Shiv birdied the third, fifth, seventh and ninth to round off a highly satisfying day.

Shiv's round featured several spectacular long putts, as he completed a bogey free card.

"When the putter works, you are going to post a score no matter how you are hitting it," he later said.

"I stayed patient, and any time you don't make a bogey on a course like this, you have to be happy," added the Delhi pro.

The same, however, could not be said of either Chowrasia or Randhawa.

Chowrasia returned a two-over 74 after dropping four bogeys against a pair of birdies.

The case was worse with Randhawa who went five-over 77 with three birdies, six bogeys and a double bogey to boot.

Italian Francesco Molinari (63) broke the course record at County Louth to lead by a stroke.