Els was left needing a brilliant second round to make the cut

FIRST ROUND LEADERBOARD
(GB & Ire unless stated):
-7 J Randhawa (Ind)
-5 R Finch, D McGrane
-4 T Bjorn (Den), S Kapur (Ind), JM Lara (Sp)
Selected others:
-3 M O'Meara (US)
+2 D Howell
+3 E Els (SA)

Ernie Els had a quadruple bogey nine for a three-over-par 75 to lie 10 shots behind leader Jyoti Randhawa at the inaugural Indian Masters in Delhi.

Local star Randhawa eagled the last to finish on seven under.

Irishman Damien McGrane played two rounds with Tiger Woods in Dubai last week and the world number one's magic rubbed off as he fired a 67.

That left him on five under to lie second, alongside Englishman Richard Finch, and two behind Randhawa.

Rejuvenated Dane Thomas Bjorn, Delhi resident Shiv Kapur, and Spain's Jose Manuel Lara lurked one further back at the US$2.5m dollar event, while US veteran Mark O'Meara showed his enduring class with 69.

In a tournament lacking star names - apart from Els - Randhawa used his local knowledge to good effect, putting together three birdies and two eagles.

But fellow Indian Jeev Milkha Singh, seen as one of the favourites to win, succumbed to the pressure with a poor 77.

If you try and overpower this course, you're going to find yourself in huge trouble Thomas Bjorn

Randhawa, who enjoyed four top-10 finishes on the European Tour in 2007, had won less important tournaments on the Lodhi course five times previously.

He said the experience proved invaluable.

"My past performances helped a lot. What I did before, I did again," he said.

"As long as I can keep to the same things and handle the pressure this week, I'll be alright."

McGrane has never won a European Tour event but was boosted by playing with Woods in the UAE, although he was reluctant to give credit to the world's best.

"I enjoyed playing with Tiger, he encouraged me all the way. It's nice to play with the world's top player and survive the experience," he said.

"But every week is a new beginning, a new start. It was all about making the birdies whenever possible today."

Bjorn, a nine-time winner on the European Tour, looks to have rediscovered his touch after a wretched 2007.

606: DEBATE Oh Jeez, I was going to have a few quid on Randhawa this week but decided against it, he's only leader! goldwolf

"I played pretty solid until the last three holes really. I was just steady off the tee," said the Dane.

"You've got to play conservative and try to keep within the perimeters of the golf course and try to get the most out of your day.

"If you try to overpower this course, you're going to find yourself in huge trouble."

Els, meanwhile, tried exactly that course of action at times, and paid the penalty.

Playing the back nine first, he started with two bogeys in the opening three holes before three birdies in a row put him back on track.

But the par-5 18th hole proved too challenging for the world number four.

His second shot went into the bushes and was unplayable for a penalty drop.

He pitched straight back into undergrowth on his fourth for another dropped shot, before finally hitting the green and two-putting for a nine.