By William S Callahan
Friday February 08 2008
Still, Damien McGrane must have felt he was far from the madding crowd at yesterday's first round of The Emaar-MGF Indian Masters as he shot a splendid 67 for a share of second place on five-under with England's Richard Finch, two strokes behind leader Jyoti Randawha.
Though nearly 20,000 enthusiastic fans took advantage of free-admission to the first European Tour event played in India, the atmosphere was sublime by comparison with the bedlam which usually surrounds World No 1 Tiger Woods. Yet McGrane wasn't interested in looking back to his 36-hole odyssey with Tiger in Dubai last weekend. "The whole experience was very interesting and I enjoyed it," he said. "However, I haven't reflected on it because once it's in the past, it's gone for me. This week is a new tournament and I'm sure Tiger has moved on as well."
Just as well because the tight, old-style course at Delhi Golf Club places a heavy demand on one's mental faculties. Though by no means short (it measures just over 7000 yards), few players used their driver more than twice yesterday, showing respect for the trouble which lurks in the trees and bushes which line its narrow fairways.
Satisfying
"It's a week for grinding," said Graeme McDowell after signing for a satisfying 69, good enough for a share of seventh place.
"You look at the leaderboard and you see guys like Damien up there," he went on, paying tribute to McGrane's famously dogged nature. "It takes a lot of patience. I mean, Jyoti Randawha kind of owns this place (the Indian has actually won five times in Delhi) and Shiv Kipur is a local boy.
"It shows you need a little bit of local knowledge and a different type of game to get it around here. It's different to what we usually play. It's not a bomber's track by any stretch of the imagination. It really is a chipper and putter and grinder's golf course and, hopefully, I can keep grinding for three more days."
McGrane compared Delhi Golf Club to The Hermitage in Dublin, saying: "It's tight, though it obviously has a bit more length. It was very obvious from the practice rounds that this course demands straight hitting and that the birdie chances will come if you keep it on the fairway.
"I played very nicely today," added McGrane, who actually picked up seven birdies as he took just 28 putts on greens which could prove perplexing. "They are grainy and it's also difficult to get the right pace."
Randhawa made spectacular use of his local knowledge as he landed two eagles in his final five holes -- both set up by splendid approach shots to the par five 14th and 18th.
Yet the nightmares continued for Ernie Els. Instead of burying painful memories of last weekend's final hole collapse in Dubai, the hapless South African racked up a quadruple-bogey at 18 (his ninth hole) on the way to an unsettling 75.
Unlike The Emirates, there's no water at Delhi's closing hole. Yet Els put his second shot in a bush this time and, after a penalty drop, promptly left his fourth in thick undergrowth, requiring him to take yet another unplayable lie.
Darren Clarke also experienced disturbing echoes from Dubai, where four successive bogeys late last Friday caused him to miss the cut. Yesterday, the Ulsterman once again ran out of steam in the finishing straight, dropping three shots in the final five holes as he posted a level par 72.
- William S Callahan