Lahiri maintains lead in Aircel PGTI golf

PUNE - Anirban Lahiri held on to his lead in round two of the Aircel PGTI Players Championship Wednesday at Oxford Golf and Country Club here after he posted a four under 68.

Lahiri led by two strokes at 11 under 133. Himmat Singh Rai was in second position at nine under 135 and the cut was declared at seven over 151. Fifty-three professionals and one amateur made the cut.

Lahiri (65-68), the reigning Aircel PGTI Order of Merit champion, continued to stay ahead of the rest of the field with the help of a solid 68 that included five birdies and a bogey. He was not at his best with the putter, but he capitalized on the par five holes (fourth, ninth, 11th, 16th), making birdies on all four of them.

Lahiri said: “I was in good hitting form today, but my putting left a lot to be desired. I could have had a much better score, but I left about three shots out there since I missed quite a few birdie putts inside 10 feet. However, it was great to score birdies on all the par 5s today.”

Rai (66-69) kept in touch with the leader as he came up with a three under 69 on day two to move his total to nine under 135. He made five birdies against two bogeys. He chipped-in for birdie on the 17th.

“I carried the momentum from the first round and continued to hit it well. The birdie from the chip-in on the 17th was crucial as it helped me end the day on a positive note and put me in the right frame of mind for the third round,” said Rai.

Karanjit Singh Sandhu was in third place at eight under 136 while C. Muniyappa was a further three strokes back in fourth position.

Gaganjeet Bhullar and Mukesh Kumar were in joint ninth place at two under 142 while Rajiv Datar of Pune was tied 24th at one over 145. Jaideep Patwardhan (two over 146) and Gurki Shergill (three over 147), two other Pune-based professionals, were placed tied 28th and tied 33rd respectively.

Amish Jaitha of Pune, the lone amateur to make the cut, was placed tied 41st with a two-day total of five over 149.