By Rahul Banerji
Veer Ahlawat continued to climb the $1.5 million International Series Singapore leaderboard, finishing in a tie for third place on Friday.
The rangy Ahlawat fired eight birdies at the Tanah Merah course in a 7-under card of 65 to follow up his opening 69 as eight Indians made the cut on an intensely hot and humid day.
Matching Ahlawat’s score and shared third place on the day was Korean Yoseop Seo, with eight birdies that included six in a row on either side of the turn, and one bogey.
Malaysia’s Gavin Green shot a second successive bogey-free 65 to lead the field by three shots from Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai on 14-under 130.
Shubhankar Sharma was next best in the Indian contingent in tied 20th on 5-under 139 (70-69) with Indonesian Open runner-up Rashid Khan (72-69) T36 alongside 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed on 3-under 141.
Winner in Jakarta last week, Gaganjeet Bhullar was a shot behind on 142 (73-69) along with Jyoti Randhawa (73-69) and Ajeetesh Sandhu (70-72).
Ace of the day
Aman Raj made a hole in one on the par-3 16th with a wedge from 140 yards to make the cut on the line.
A dropped shot on the par-3 6th hole resulting from a quickly-taken putt was Ahlawat’s only blemish on the day after he had played 14 holes of top-notch golf.
The Gurgaon-based golfer, however, recovered immediately with two birdies over his final three holes to climb back into the top three having started the day on the back nine.
The stakes are significant at Singapore and the following International Series Korea with the top three points-earners at the two events going straight into the next lot of LIV Golf’s Invitational Series.
Meanwhile, 16 of the 22 LIV Golf entrants made it to the weekend rounds, with Reed going four-under on Friday.
“I just put the ball in position on a lot of holes, especially early on but I didn’t make any putts, and when you are doing that around here it is hard to shoot low,” he said on the Asian Tour website,
“I definitely need to shoot a really low one tomorrow.
Putts vital
“I feel I’m doing what I’m supposed to from tee to green, but I need to capitalise on a couple of par fives and holes like eight and nine here. And I need the ball to go in with putts.
“If I can get the putter going early, and hopefully get the momentum then there is no reason I can’t shoot a mid to low 60s round and have a chance to hopefully have to shoot another in the mid to low 60s.”
asiantour.com adds: Green continued to show he is on the comeback trail again today after spectacularly posting a second successive bogey-free 65.
Overnight leader Scott Vincent from Zimbabwe slipped back after carding a 73 into a tie for eighth.
Green, the 2017 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, has struggled with his game over the past few seasons but appears to be back on track after two brilliant days on the demanding Tampines Course at Tanah Merah Country Club.
“Obviously striking has to be pretty good on this golf course, you have to keep it in play, you can’t miss too many shots,” said the 28-year-old.
“You have to place your approach shots on certain parts of the green because they are so slopy.
“And even when you are on the green it’s a tough two-putt. My caddie and I have a good game plan. We have worked hard, really hard, over the last few weeks.”
Seventy-four players in all including three amateurs made the cut at 1-under 143.
Also read: Ahlawat best-placed Indian in Singapore as Vincent is in the van
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