ANTWERP (Belgium): India's SSP Chawrasia had a mixed start but finished under par at 1-under 70 in the opening round of the Soudal Open here.
He had a roller-coaster of a front nine, but kept calm to finish at 70 to be placed tied 45th at the end of Day 1.
Meanwhile, things continued to be bad for Shubhankar Sharma, who was staring at a third straight missed cut after an opening round of 2-over 73 and was tied 99th. He will need a strong second round to make the cut. He missed the cuts at the Catalunya Championship and British Masters in his last two starts.
The English trio of Dale Whitnell, Sam Horsfield and Callum Shinkwin fired rounds of 65 each to lead after the first round.
They were one clear of a big pack of six players at 66 at the Rinkven International Golf Club. Yannik Paul, Jeff Winther, Alexander Björk, Adrian Meronk and Spaniards Alvaro Quiros and Nacho Elvira finished day one in a tie for fourth on five under par 66 each.
At one stage Whitnell looked impossible to catch, after he notched nine birdies in his opening 16 holes, before a double bogey-bogey finish meant he had to settle for a 65.
A pair of amateurs were under par after the first day, with Charles Roeland firing a 69 and 14-year-old debutant Lev Grinberg shooting a 70 on his home course, while home favourite Thomas Pieters also opened with a 69.
