Rio de Janeiro: Indian golf’s poster boy Anirban Lahiri failed to capitalize on the depleted field and opened his campaign, in the sport which is making debut in the mega Games with 3 over 74 in the opening round of Olympic Golf.
Another Indian in the fray, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chawrasia carded par score of 71, to be clubbed at tied-27th in the 60-strong field.
Anirban, had a poor start, shooting 3-over 74 to finish the first round tied 50th, while Bangladesh's Siddikur Rahman shot 4-over 75.
Australian Marcus Fraser, with a sizzling 8-under 63 led the field while Canadian Graham DeLaet and 2016 Open Championship winner Henrik Stenson of Sweden, shared the second place with identical 5-under 66.
Kolkata based Chawrasia opened his front nine well, shooting birdies on 2nd and e 5th, and that enable him to hog the spot light for a brief period as he figured among the top 10 of the leader board for some time.
However, a bogey each on the par-four 7th and the par-five 10th dented his round as if that was enough, he gain lost shots on the 12th and the 13th, though he did card a birdie each on 10th and 18th.
Lahiri, who had teed off earlier than Chawrasia alongside Bubba Watson of USA and Germany's Martin Kaymer, had a tough time over the first 12 holes, shooting five bogeys over them.
(The writer is a senior sports journalist)