By Rahul Banerji
There was all change atop the leader-board on day two of the MP Cup at the Delhi Golf Club on Wednesday with Khalin Joshi grabbing pole position.
Combining confidence with his putter and good memories of the DGC course, even in its new avatar, Bangalore’s Joshi led the pack in the Rs. 70 lakh event supported by the Just In Time Sports Foundation.
The 29-year-old, winner of the last Asian Tour event staged at the DGC three years back, struck a 6-under par 66 to move up six places for the sole lead in round two on 9-under 135.
Joshi (69-66) racked up seven birdies and a bogey during his round on Wednesday, the Professional Golf Tour of India said.
Gurgaon’s Veer Ahlawat (72-65) shot the day’s best score of 65 to gain 37 places and move into tied second on 7-under 137.
Sri Lanka’s N. Thangaraja (70-67), and round one joint leaders Manu Gandas (67-70) and Chikkarangappa S, (67-70) were also tied for second alongside Ahlawat.
The cut fell at 2-over par 146 with 52 professionals and one amateur making it to the final two rounds.
Starting well
Joshi, the winner of the Asian Tour’s Panasonic Open at the DGC in October 2018, opened on a high with a 15-foot birdie conversion.
He added two more birdies and a bogey on the front nine to make the turn on 2-under and already reeling in the overnight leaders.
Winner of four professional events, Joshi began building further momentum on the back nine with an excellent approach shot from 140 yards on 11 that landed inches from the pin for a tap-in birdie.
He followed that up with a 15-foot putt to save par on 12.
Joshi wrapped up the day with three more birdies over his last five holes. He fired another outstanding approach from 130 yards on 15 that narrowly missed the hole and gave him an easy birdie putt.
“My confidence comes from the fact that I’m rolling the putts well and my wedge-play has been terrific. I’m feeling good about my game at the moment,” Joshi said later.
“I have great memories of this course having won an Asian Tour event here in 2018. So that definitely helps.
‘Different course’
“But the DGC’s greens are totally different and it’s a ball-strikers course now, something that I’m enjoying,” said Khalin.
Ahlawat went error-free on Wednesday, making 16 greens in regulation and had a chip-in birdie.
“My course management is much better at the DGC now as compared to before,” the DLF Academy player said.
“I play it safer off the tee and try to attack with my approach shots. I also felt I could’ve gone lower as I didn’t capitalise on all the par-5s, making birdies on just two out of the four on this course.”
Kolkata’s Viraj Madappa and Gurgaon’s Kartik Sharma were tied sixth on 6-under 138.
PGTI Order of Merit leader Karandeep Kochhar of Chandigarh was T8 on 5-under 139.
Slipping away
Delhi’s Rashid Khan, the overnight joint leader, slipped to tied 12th on 4-under 140 after a round of 73.
Shiv Kapur shot a 67 to be tied 15th on 3-under 141. Another star attraction, S.S.P. Chawrasia was tied 34th on 1-over 145.
Another round one joint leader Ajay Baisoya of Delhi dropped to T42 on 2-over 146.
The only amateur to make the cut was Arvind Khanna of the Delhi Golf Club who was tied 42nd on 2-over 146.
Olympian Udayan Mane missed the cut with a 10-over 154 while Jyoti Randhawa withdrew from the event due to an injury.
Also read: Khalin Joshi is 2018 PGTI Order of Merit champion
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