PABLO LARRAZABAL was given a shock awakening after oversleeping on day one of the Hero Indian Open but still managed to card a fine 67 after a dash through the streets of New Delhi.
In scenes reminiscent of Rory McIlroy’s close-shave to make the tee-time for his singles match at the Ryder Cup in 2012, an incorrect time-zone on his phone led to Larrazabal’s alarm not going off and a wake-up call from a European Tour official just 38 minutes before he was due to start his round.
A quick shower and a fast car ride later, the 34-year-old was on the range at DLF Golf and Country Club but he aborted his warm-up after 10 balls with the adrenaline pumping through his body.
He showed few ill-effects when he got to the 10th tee, carding nine birdies to go with a double and two bogeys to get to five-under and finish just two behind early leader, Emiliano Grillo.
“I think the courtesy car made a world record from the hotel to the golf course in a couple of minutes, a ride that can take 10 or 15 minutes, it was really wild,” he said. “Waking up in the morning I didn’t think I was going to make it. Delhi’s traffic is quite tough. I got lucky that we didn’t have traffic.”
Glasgow’s Marc Warren was the best of the Scots with a 68 with Scott Jamieson and Stephen Gallacher back on 72.
Meanwhile, men and women will compete alongside each other for equal prize money in the inaugural European Golf Team Championships.
Organisers made the announcement of a “50/50 gender split” in the field on International Women’s Day.
Sixteen pairs will compete in both the women’s and men’s team events at Gleneagles on August 8-12 before combining for an 18-hole foursomes stroke play mixed team championship.
The event is part of the Glasgow 2018 European Championships, which will see aquatics, cycling, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon events take place in Scotland at the same time as the athletics European Championships in Berlin.
Ladies European Tour chairman Mark Lichtenhein said: “This summer’s European Golf Team Championships will be a totally unique event and we are extremely pleased that the men and women will play competitively together for equal prize money.”
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