Jyoti Randhawa got a rude awakening on his first day after a long lay-off as he laboured to a nine-over par 79 on the opening day of the WGC-NEC Invitational golf tournament at the Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.
Randhawa, playing after a long gap, during which he was recovering from an injury, opened with three pars and then came a double bogey on the fourth.
Nothing went right after that, as he made seven more bogeys, three on the front nine and four more on back nine for a 79 and is tied for 69th place from among 72 starters.
The consolation is that there is no cut and everybody in the field makes money.
Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Henrik Stenson are setting the pace with matching rounds of four-under 66 each.
Randhawa's small consolation could be that Retief Goosen is lying 68 with seven over 77.
US Open champion and former Asian Tour player Choi Kyung-ju rallied to a one-over-par 71 and was the best among Asian players.
He was tied for the 23rd place, six shots off the lead.
The Korean, who was overlooked for a captain's pick for the International Team ahead of the Presidents Cup next month, enjoyed six birdies on his card.
Last season's Asian Tour number one Thongchai Jaidee carded a 73 to lie in joint 44th place in the USD 7 million event. The Thai star shot three birdies but dropped six bogeys along the way.
