Shiv Kapur diary: A great night with Gary Player and an okay start at DGC Open

We all had a fun night on Wednesday night at a Gary Player-and-myself ‘Fireside Chat’ hosted by the tournament sponsors with some guests and other tournament and club officials and invitees.

The conversation included some interesting as well as topical subjects: golf course design and how technology is impacting the game. In addition, how to grow the game in India and other countries and what it takes to prepare for the majors.

I was extra proud of myself to be invited but also, I even got to say a few words when Mr Player was coming up for air and not speaking!

What a legend Mr Player is, and still with so much energy at 86 years old. The game of golf is so lucky to have him in our game and still going strong.

As for the golf in today’s first round of The DGC Open, it was a tale of two halves for me. I started on hole 10 and got off to a hot start with four birdies and a bogey in an outward 33 and then I stumbled home with a couple of late bogeys for a back nine (holes 1-9) of 38 and an 18 hole score of one under par 71.

The golf course played tricky, especially when the winds came up later in the day.

Tied nithth after round one is always a decent start and I will take it, I have no choice!

The leaders shot five-under 67, so I am not too far away. Travis Smyth (Australia) and Shankar Das (India) both posted this number and well played to them.

Five of the top eight players are all from the host country, so fingers crossed for a home win.

I have a 12.20 pm tee time off the 1st tee for the second round. I have got to learn from today’s mistakes and shoot a low one and put myself right back in the mix.

It is interesting to note that both leaders were part of the morning tee time wave today, so fingers crossed for me and my afternoon tee time.

I played today with left-hander Paul Petersen (USA) and Suttijet Kooratanapisan (Thai) who shot 74 and 72 respectively and we will all be looking for improvement on day two. Paul has won on the DP World Tour, it just shows the strength in depth we are developing on the Asian Tour.

My fellow Dubai residents MG Keyser (RSA), who represents Jumeirah Golf Estates, shot a level-par 72, to lie tied 22nd and my best friend Jeev Mikha Singh shot a two-over par 74 to be tied 53rd.

Speak to you all after round two!

T. Smyth (Aus) 67

S. Das (Ind) 67

V. Ahlawat (Ind) 68

N. Thippong (Thai) 68

A. Sandhu (Ind) 69

K. Kochhar (Ind) 69