Singapore, 19-01-2018
Shiv Kapur, Gaganjeet Bhullar well-placed on day two of SMBC Singapore Open
Shiv Kapur of India followed up his first round 70 with a four-under-67 in round two of the Asian Tour’s SMBC Singapore Open on Friday to be placed tied fourth in the clubhouse at five-under-137. He was two shots behind clubhouse leader Chapchai Nirat of Thailand.
The 35-year-old Kapur seemed to have brought his brilliant 2017 form to Singapore. Shiv, a three-time winner on the Asian Tour in 2017, sizzled on his opening nine (10th to 18th) with five birdies. He then picked up two more birdies on the front-nine but also dropped three shots to close the day with a four-under.
Kapur said, “Starting the day, I was even-par and I had a hole and a half to play. I birdied the 18th to shoot one-under this morning. Then, I came out playing really good. Five-under-par on the back nine, but I lost my way in the front, my back nine. It's a tough course and there is no let up here. You hit one or two bad shots and it gets you.
“Three-putting at the last hole left a sour taste in my mouth. Small margins here, but I played pretty well.
“I bogeyed the fifth hole two days in a row. I'll try to figure out how to play that hole a bit better. I haven't birdied four as well. I'll get my head around that stretch (fourth, fifth and sixth) of holes. I seemed to have a good game plan for the back nine. I'm hitting more three-woods there. That's working well and I'm not going to change that.
“I love this golf course. I've been coming here since I started my career in 2005. I've seen it change but it's still hard. The greens are bigger and it's hard to get the ball close. It tests every part of your game. You have to be straight off the tee the second shots are demanding. The greens are quick and sloppy. It's always going to be a tough challenge here.”
Gaganjeet Bhullar (66-72), who was the first round joint leader as a result of his 66, came up with a 72 in round two to be tied sixth in the clubhouse at four-under-138.
Play during round two was abandoned at 4.42 pm local time due to lightning threats. Seventy-eight players will resume their rounds at 7.40 am local time on Saturday, with round three starting no later than 12.50 pm.
Arjun Atwal (73-67) produced a second round of 67 to be tied 18th in the clubhouse at two-under-140.
This week in Singapore, four players who finish inside the top-12 and ties and who are not already exempt, will earn places in the field at the 2018 British Open scheduled to be held at Carnoustie.
Elsewhere, after round two of the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Shubhankar Sharma was tied 44th at three-under-141.
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