Once mastered, it seems Delhi Golf Club course stands the conqueror in good stead quite often. Bangalore boy Anirban Lahiri and Sweden’s Rikard Karlberg would readily agree.

Lahiri, who clinched his first title here at Panasonic Open last year and buried the ghost of DGC for once and for all, rekindled his affair by carding an impressive seven-under on par 72 course to take the opening day lead at the SAIL-SBI Open on Wednesday.

Karlberg had also recorded his maiden win in the same event in 2010 at DGC and capped it with the Indian Open triumph the same year. The Swede registered a score of 67 to take the spot behind Canadian rookie Ron Harvey Jr, who carded a six-under score with the help of six birdies.

“I am much assured of what to hit off at tee now as compared to earlier. I feel more positive and have been getting more and more comfortable at DGC,” said 24-year-old Lahiri, who hit seven birdies en route to taking the Day 1 lead at the $300,000 Asian Tour event, with five of the birdies coming on back nine.

Harvey Jr, who finished tied-16th at Qualifying School last month to book his place among the circuit’s elite, said that his conservative approach helped him to take the morning session lead earlier in the day.

“It’s a lot easier when you hit onto the fairways all-day. I used lots of three and four-irons and only hit two or three-woods and I guess that made it seemed a lot easier,” he said.

Karlberg, meanwhile, was all too happy to admit his liking for the course. “There’s something about India that makes me play well here. I’m very composed when I play here at DGC,” the 2010 Asian Tour rookie of the year said.

Mohd Islam, Mukesh Kumar, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Manav Jaini were sharing the fourth spot with Australia’s Scott Hend to stake claims for the hosts. Shiv Kapur, meanwhile, let his two eagles go to waste by hitting two bogeys and a double bogey to end the day at tied 11th.

NOW IPL FOR GOLF

In an IPL-style league, 10-city based teams will vie for the honours in the Louis Philippe Cup, to be held at Bangalore between March 5 and 10. With a total prize bag of Rs 1.24 crore at stake, 30 top professionals, including Jyoti Randhawa, Anirban Lahiri and SSP Chowrasia, would lead their respective side’s charge.

Each city team will three players, two selected on the basis of their 2011 Rolex Rankings as of December and the third player is picked by the sponsor. The winning team takes home Rs 36 lakh, runners-up will earn Rs 24 lakh and the second runners-up Rs 18 lakh.