Visakhapatnam, 03-10-2024

Angad Cheema rises to the top with personal best 10-under 61 on day two, leads by four shots

Chandigarh’s Angad Cheema, the runner-up in Hyderabad last week, continued his rich vein of form by firing a personal best score of 10-under 61 to rise to the top in round two of the INR 1 crore Vizag Open 2024 being played at the East Point Golf Club (EPGC) in Visakhapatnam.

Angad (69-61), currently fourth on the TATA Steel PGTI Ranking with six top-10s in the season so far, had a tournament tally of 12-under 130 at the halfway stage that gave him an imposing four-shot lead.

Patna’s Aman Raj (66-68) was placed second at eight-under 134 following his second round of 68.

Bengaluru’s Aryan Roopa Anand (67-68) was a further shot back in third place.

The cut was declared at one-over 143. Fifty-seven professionals made the cut. 

Angad Cheema, searching for his second PGTI title and looking to end an 11-year victory drought, surged 12 spots from his overnight tied 13th thanks to a phenomenal 61, the week’s lowest round so far, that was punctuated by an eagle and eight birdies.

Cheema, who started from the 10th hole, kept firing his iron and wedge shots close to the flags with pin-point precision on Thursday as his eagle putt and three other birdie putts were tap-ins The 34-year-old also landed it within six to eight feet on four other occasions where he converted those putts for birdies.  

Angad said, “I’m delighted to have shot my personal best score. The birdie-birdie start and three really good golf shots on the 16th, 17th and 18th, gave me the momentum. I played some brilliant iron and wedge shots.

“No matter what the result of the previous week, you have to start afresh every week. So, I just focused on doing that here in Vizag and am trying not to get too ahead of myself.

“My way of dealing with the extremely hot and humid conditions here is to drink a lot of fluids and eat bananas during my round.”

Aman Raj, who was overnight tied second, mixed an eagle, two birdies and a bogey during his 68 to end day two in sole second place.

Round one leader Milind Soni of Hyderabad slipped to tied seventh at five-under 137 following a score of 74 on Thursday.

Reigning champion N Thangaraja (70) of Sri Lanka was tied 16th at two-under 140.

All the four Visakhapatnam-based golfers in the field missed the cut.