Anirban Lahiri starts with impressive round

Kuala Lumpur: Anirban Lahiri got off to a flying start with a five-under 67 in the first round to be at tied eighth in the CIMB Classic at the TPC Kuala Lumpur here on Thursday.

Fellow Indian, S.S.P. Chawrasia (72) was tied-44th.

Lahiri, third last year at the same event, is coming of a tied-9th finish in the last start on the PGA Tour in the BMW Champion- ships, the third leg of the FedExCup play-offs. Currently tied eighth, Lahiri is three shots behind Australian Cameron Smith, who after a successful rookie season on PGA Tour, holds the lead for the first time in his career. Smith shot an error-free 64 with five birdies on front nine and three on back nine.

 Lahiri, playing the CIMB Classic for the sixth time, has great affinity for the TPC Kuala Lumpur, which till 2015 was called the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, when he won the 2015 Malaysian Open.

The 67 on Thursday marked the 11th time he scored 70 or under in last 13 rounds at the TPC Kuala Lumpur.

The other two scores have been 72 — at the 2015 Malaysian Open second round but he won the title; and the final round of 2016 CIMB, when he finished third. He also shot 62 at this event last year.

“I know the course well and I like it, the way I like the DGC (Delhi Golf Course),” said Lahiri before the start.

With four birdies in first five holes and nine in his first nine holes on the backstretch of the course, Lahiri looked set for a real low number. But the second nine had a lot of ‘misses’ from makeable range.

Lahiri had a bogey, when the putt slipped by from under 10 feet and a birdie on par-5 third.