Penge Leads at Danish Golf; Sharma Struggles to Make Cut

Copenhagen, Denmark, Aug 15 (PTI) — On the first day of the Danish Golf Championship at the Par-71 Furesø Golf Klub, Shubhankar Sharma delivered an even par 71 round. Currently tied for 70th, Sharma needs a strong performance in the second round to secure his place in the tournament over the weekend. Since the Hero Indian Open back in March, Sharma has struggled to make cuts, so he is eager to extend his participation here.

Veer Ahlawat had a tough start, with a 2-over 73, putting him at a perilous 113th position and in jeopardy of missing the cut. Sharma’s round included birdies at the 6th, 12th, 16th, and 18th holes, offset by bogeys on the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 14th.

In striking contrast, Englishman Marco Penge set a new course record with a bogey-free 7-under 64. Penge’s round featured birdies on holes 3, 6, 11, 13, and 14, culminating with an eagle on the 18th. This performance places him as the sole leader with a two-shot advantage. Known for consistent finishes, Penge has moved to the fifth spot in the Race to Dubai rankings with six top 30 finishes in seven starts.

Five players are two strokes behind Penge, including former Danish Golf Championship winner Rasmus Højgaard, who carded an impressive eight birdies in his 66. Joining him in second are Francesco Molinari, the 2018 Open Champion, Canadian Aaron Cockerill, Jeremy Paul of Germany, and Scotsman Marc Warren.

Last year’s runner-up, Lucas Bjerregaard, is part of a seven-way tie for seventh place. Meanwhile, Nicolai Højgaard had a memorable round, featuring two spectacular hole-out eagles in three holes. Struggling at two-over-par through ten holes, Nicolai turned his game around by holing out from 111 yards on the 12th and then from 144 yards on the 14th. He closed with a birdie on the final hole to post a 3-under 68, landing him in a share of 14th place.

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