Akshay Bhatia had an up-and-down round in his first-ever tournament in the land of his ancestors.
Bhatia, who was originally set to make his Hero Indian Open debut six years ago, opened the DP World Tour event with a 44 on his front nine that included a triple bogey on the 15th hole at DLF Golf and Country Club after hitting the wrong ball.
After the emotional start, Bhatia’s nerves seemed to settle down.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational winner recorded three birdies on the back nine, settling for a 5-over 77 on the opening round.
“Glad I didn’t shoot 80,” Bhatia joked in his post-round interview. “This golf course is hard so if I can get it back to even par it will be a nice comeback for me. I’ll never give up, and that’s always the goal.”
Bhatia hit his first shot of the round out of bounds. He said he expects to be more comfortable when he returns Friday.
“Going to try and continue with the momentum I had on the back nine,” he said.
He called the opportunity to play in front of fans in New Delhi a blessing and a “really fun treat so far.”
“Looking forward to spending the next couple of days here,” Bhatia said. “I’m very blessed.”