Mumbai, 07-12-2017
Akshay Sharma's dream season continues as he hits the front in round two of CG Open
Viraj Madappa, Udayan Mane move into tied second
Chandigarh lad Akshay Sharma’s dream season continued as he posted a top-notch six-under-64 to take a one-shot lead in round two of the CG Open 2017 being played at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club (BPGC) in Mumbai. Akshay’s score at the halfway stage read nine-under-131.
Rookie Viraj Madappa (64) of Kolkata and Ahmedabad-based Udayan Mane (65), the PGTI Order of Merit leader, moved into tied second at eight-under-132 at the halfway stage of the Rs. 1 crore event.
Akshay Sharma (67-64) has been enjoying his best season on the PGTI having already secured two top-5s in the year to be placed a career-high 18th on the PGTI Order of Merit. On Thursday, the 27-year-old, lying overnight tied ninth, produced yet another standout performance as he mixed eight birdies with two bogeys to climb into the lead.
Akshay said, “It’s been a fantastic season for me so far and I believe I can make it better with a good finish here at the CG Open. I hit 14 greens in regulation today and did well on the par-5s with birdies on three of them. A 30-feet birdie conversion on the 15th really lifted my confidence. But the highlight of the round was the chip-in from the bunker on the third.
“I’ve drawn inspiration from my third place finish in Chandigarh two months back. I now have a solid foundation ahead of the last two days and would like to capitalize on it.”
Viraj Madappa (68-64) made a gain of 18 places from his overnight tied 20th after an error-free round of 64. Interestingly, Viraj currently is a close second behind friend Karandeep Kochhar of Chandigarh in the PGTI Emerging Player of the Year race, a contest that promises to go down to the wire.
Madappa said, “I salvaged a birdie with a long putt on the 18th despite being in the trees after my first shot there. I then enjoyed a good stretch on the front nine. I’m happy with the way I’ve played this week as this is my first tournament after full recovery from a back injury that kept me out of action for over a month.”
PGTI Order of Merit leader Udayan Mane (67-65) shared the second spot with Madappa after signing for a 65 that featured an eagle. He climbed seven places from his overnight tied ninth.
Round one leader Mithun Perera of Sri Lanka slipped to tied fourth place at seven-under-133 after a second round of 69. Defending champion Shamim Khan of Delhi, Sanjeev Kumar, M Dharma, Mohammad Sanju and VeerAhlawat also joined Perera in tied fourth.
Mumbai’s Anil Bajrang Mane (70) dropped from overnight tied second to tied 12th place at five-under-135.
The cut went at one-over-141 as 61 professionals made it to the last two rounds.
Mumbai golfer Akash Modi totaled 141 to make the cut by one shot. Wilson Raj D Mello, another Mumbai-based professional missed the cut as his tally read 152.
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.
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