Aman Raj makes cut in Korea, Khalin Joshi going well at Volvo China Open

By Rahul Banerji

Patna golfer Aman Raj survived a late scare to make the cut at the $1.06 million 38th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship in Korea on Friday.

Well placed in the top 15 midway through his second nine, Aman bogeyed four of his last five holes, but still went through to the money rounds.

Not so fortunate were Chikkarangappa S. (72, 75) and young Aadil Bedi (76, 96). While in form Bangalorean Chikka was sunk by a late double-bogey and a further dropped shot, Chandigarh’s Bedi was well off the pace in both rounds.

Aman, who recorded his first win on the PGTI Tour last September in Jaipur, had a level-par 72 in the first round and 73 in the second to be three-over 145 in a tie for 50^th place after being one-under with five holes to go.

Aman had two birdies to be two-under for the day and one-under for the tournament, before the four bogeys in his last five holes at the Namseoul Country Club.

Finland’s Janne Kaske (70-66) broke the local stronghold by firing a 5-under-par 66 to take a share of the halfway lead alongside Korean Taehee Lee (67-69), while birthday boy Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand trailed by two shots.

Khalin Joshi 23^rd at Volvo China Open

In Shenzhen, Khalin Joshi signed for a 2-under 70 at the Volvo China Open on Friday to ensure that he will feature in the weekend rounds.

Joshi missed the cut in his five Asian Tour events and withdrawn from one, while he did make the cut at the Kenya Open on the European Tour.

On Friday, he held a share of 23rd place, eight shots back of Wu Ashun, who had a 7-under 65 for a two-shot lead over the field on a two-day total of 13-under-par 131.

Two other Indians, Ajeetesh Sandhu (74-67) at T43 and former Indian Open winner S.S.P. Chawrasia (71-71) at T55 made the cut.

Among those missing out was Viraj Madappa, whose five-under 67 could not make up for a first round 76 and he was one shot short.

Shiv Kapur (70-73) made a late bogey and missed the cut also by one, while former Volvo winner Jeev Milkha Singh (71-73) and Gaganjeet Bhullar (71-74) also failed to make the grade.

Off-colour start by Lahiri at Wells Fargo

In Charlotte, USA,Anirban Lahiri carded an 8-over 79 to give himself very little chance of getting to the weekend rounds at the Wells Fargo Championship, sitting at the bottom of the leaderboard with the cut likely at 2-over 142.

On a card speckled by bogeys and a double, Lahiri had two birdies at Quail Hollow, where he missed the cut last year and finished T41 in 2016.

Lahiri hit just seven of 18 greens in regulation, found the water twice and missed plento of putts. One of his two birdies though was from 21 feet, but otherwise it was a day to forget.

Tied for lead

Rory McIlroy and Joel Dahmen were tied for the lead at 5-under 66 with Dylan Frittelli, Nick Taylor, Patrick Reed, Martin Laird, and Adam Schenk tied for 3rd at four-under.

McIlroy finished tied 21 at the Masters, his only finish outside of the top 10 this year in eight previous starts and he has one win, at the Players Championship.

He said later, “I felt like I hit it like I should have shot 1- or 2-under par. I didn’t feel like it was a round that I deserved to shoot 5 under, but I got the most out of it, which is nice if I’m able to continue to do that sort of stuff.”

Quail Hollow is where McIlroy won his first PGA Tour title in 2010.

Dahmen, a cancer survivor, played a steady round, keeping bogeys off his card and holing a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole for his 66.

Defending champion Jason Day was in a group of 10 tied for eighth place at 3-under.

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