13-year-old golfer shoots 75 in the first round at the Qatar Masters

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — A 13-year-old golfer shot 3-over 75 in the first round of the Qatar Masters on Thursday to give himself a chance of making the weekend in just his second appearance in a European tour event.

Daniil Sokolov, a Russian national who represents Qatar and was in the field courtesy of an invitation, was 2 under after four holes but picked up four bogeys and a double to drop into a tie for 105th when play was suspended at Doha Golf Club with 12 players yet to finish their round.

Sokolov also played the Qatar Masters last year at the age of 12, shooting rounds of 78 and 82 to miss the cut.

In 2013, Chinese player Ye Wo-cheng became the youngest male to compete in a European tour event, at age 12, at the China Open.

Sokolov, who is represented by the Modest! management group run by One Direction singer and golf enthusiast Niall Horan, was born in South Korea and moved to Qatar with his parents from Tokyo when he was aged 5, the European tour has confirmed. He has won one World Amateur Golf Ranking tournament, the Jordan Junior Open in May 2024.

Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen and Brandon Robinson Thompson were tied for the lead on 6-under par.

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