By Rahul Banerji
Veer Ahlawat and Gaganjeet Bhullar made good progress on day two of the $1.5 million International Series Korea, climbing into the upper reaches of the leaderboard on Friday.
Ahlawat has had a good recent run in the LIV Golf-backed International Series. In Singapore, he was in play on the final day before finishing tied for 12th place along with Shunhankar Sharma.
At Jeju Island, he has bounced back from an opening 1-under 70 with a scorching 66 and a place in the top five on 6-under 136 overall four shots behind joint leaders Bio Kim and Taehoon Ok.
Bhullar went one better than the rangy Ahlawat, returning a 67 on the day to climb into a share of 11th place on 5-under 137 to follow an opening 1-over 72 at Lotte Skyhill Country Club.
The record third-time winner of the Indonesia Open, achieved earlier this month in Jakarta, was five shots behind the two Korean leaders, finishing his round with an eagle two off a longish approach shot.
Lovely eagle
“It was a nice round, four birdies and a lovely eagle on the last,” said Bhullar on the Asian Tour website.
“I started off really well actually, yesterday I shot plus one, but I hit the ball really well. I knew that I’ve been hitting the ball well, it’s just a matter of time when the putts started falling.
“Today I started with a birdie and also made birdie on 13 and 18. And the way I finished the last hole, I hit a driver and had about 179 yards with slight downwind and I hit an eight iron and it went in the hole.
“We saw it but I was not too sure whether it was in the hole or on the other side of the slope. But yeah, that was definitely one of the best swings.”
Also making the cut at Jeju, at level par 142, were S.S.P. Chawrasia (68-70) on 4-under 138, Rashid Khan (70-71) on 1-under 141, and Shiv Kapur (68-74) on the line.
Missing out were Ajeetesh Sandhu, Rahil Gangjee, Viraj Madappa, Honey Baisoya, Chikkarangappa S. and Jyoti Randhawa.
asiantour.com adds
Koreans Kim and Ok shot blistering second rounds of 63 and 64 respectively to take the lead at the lucrative event, moving to 10-under 132 overall.
Hanbyeol Kim from Korea fired a 66 and was two shots back, while compatriot Yoseop Seo returned the same score and was a stroke further adrift.
Bio made nine birdies and dropped just one shot to put himself in the perfect position for a second Asian Tour win having triumphed in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, also in Korea this May.
Said the 31 year old: “It is really great having my family here, we are having fun here. It’s a family trip which allows me to get away from golf a bit.
“I think I was thinking too much the past month, it shows I should do that a little more often.”
Sole blemish
Starting on the back nine he quickly found his range with birdies on 11, 13, 15 and 16 before making a bogey on 18: that hiccup only prompted him to pick up the pace with birdies on one, two, four, six and seven.
Ok is looking to win for the first time as a professional and made eight birdies and a solitary bogey.
“I struggled a bit on the second half but hung in there,” said Ok.
“I really want to win on the Asian Tour and take my game forward and help my dream of getting onto the PGA Tour. I’m not good enough yet. Plan is to make a success in Korea first and really challenge myself.”
Taeho Kim (66), Ahlawat (66) American Trevor Simsby (69), South Africans Justin Harding (70) and Ian Snyman (70), and first-round leader Pavit Tangkamolprasert from Thailand (73) were six under for the tournament
Brazilian Adilson Da Silva produced an ace on the 209-yard par three eighth hole with a five iron but it was not enough to save him from the cut.
Also read: Brilliant Bhullar makes history with Indonesian Open treble
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