Lucknow, 17-09-2014
Gulfam and Arshpreet Thind in the joint lead after round two
Gulfam keeps hopes of Order of Merit win alive
Delhi’s Gulfam and Gurgaon-based Arshpreet Thind were the joint round two leaders at the Ansal API Feeder Tour Championship presented by The Palms Golf Club – Sushant Golf City. The two golfers ended round two with identical scores of 10-under-134 as Gulfam carded a sparkling seven-under-65 while Thind returned a solid four-under-68 on Wednesday. Bhanu Pratap Singh of Delhi is four shots off the lead in third place.
Gulfam (69-65), who was overnight tied fifth, came out firing on all cylinders on Wednesday as he shot down birdies on the first, fifth and seventh after landing it within a couple of feet of the flag on all three occasions. The 48-year-old seasoned professional then sank his longest putt of the day, a 20-footer, on the 11th to move to four-under for the day. Gulfam’s excellent hitting set up a couple of more tap-in birdies for him on the 12th and14th. The professional from the Delhi Golf Club, currently placed second on the Feeder Tour Order of Merit, drove the par-4 17th green to pocket his last birdie of the day.
“I shot one of the best scores of my professional career today. I kept landing it close to the pin and putted much better on the back nine as compared to round one. The win at Forest Hill two weeks back has really lifted my confidence. I’ll need to repeat this effort in the last round to give myself a good chance. My goal is to finish on top of the Order of Merit in order to earn the exemption on the PGTI next year,” said Gulfam, elder brother of 2012 Rolex Rankings champion Shamim Khan.
Arshpreet Thind (66-68), the overnight joint leader, followed up his brilliant opening round of 66 with a steady 68. The strapping six-footer dropped a bogey on the second but rallied with birdies on the fifth, sixth, seventh, 10th and 11th thanks to his good hitting form.
“I’ve been hitting it well this week. I had 17 greens in regulation today and set up a lot of birdie opportunities by landing my shots within six feet of the pin. I also found two of the par-5 greens in two shots. I don’t want to think too far ahead and just want to continue playing like I’ve done on the first two days in order to set myself up nicely for the final day,” said Thind, looking for his maiden title.
Bhanu Pratap Singh (66-72), the overnight joint leader, slipped to third place after an even-par-72 in round two. His total reads six-under-138.
Lucknow’s Sheeraz Kalra was the highest-placed golfer from the host city. He ended day two in tied fourth at five-under-139 along with former Feeder Tour Order of Merit champion Maniram Sharma of Karnal. Kalra had the distinction of firing two eagles in his second round of 68.
Feeder Tour Order of Merit leader Akshay Sharma of Chandigarh is placed tied seventh at three-under-141.
The cut was declared at two-over-146. Thirty-six professionals made the cut.
The tournament is also supported by associate sponsors Tulsiani Group, Nilansh Group, Wealth Mantra, SCJ Developers and Mahindra RISE.
About PGTI:
Formed in 2006, Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) is the recognised official body of professional golf in India. PGTI's objective is to promote professional golf in the country, as well as to give players an opportunity to be involved in the decision making on all aspects of the game. Headed by Mr. Kapil Dev (President), PGTI's governing body comprises leading Indian golf professionals. PGTI currently has over 300 members.
For information on PGTI, please contact:
Nikhil Kalaan
Media Manager - PGTI
Mobile: 9910974846
Email: media@pgtofindia.com
