By Rahul Banerji
Tapy Ghai came up with a spirited effort for the second straight day to storm into the halfway lead at the Gujarat Open at the Kalhaar Blues & Greens Golf Club in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
Twenty-six-year-old Ghai (66-67), a past winner on the PGTI, fired a 5-under 67 in round two to take pole position on 11-under 133 at the Rs. 40 lakh event, the PGTI said.
Delhi’s Kapil Kumar (68-67) also returned a brilliant 67 to hold second place on 9-under 135.
Yuvraj Singh Sandhu (68-69) of Chandigarh was third on 7-under 137.
Delhi’s Arjun Prasad shot the day’s best of 65 to share fourth place along with Kolkata’s Shankar Das and Sunit Chowrasia, Chandigarh’s Ranjit Singh and Mysuru’s Yashas Chandra M.S. on 6-under 138.
The cut came at 5-over 149 with 51 professionals going through.
Gurgaon-based Ghai, T3 overnight and two off the lead, had an early bogey but recovered with three birdies over the next four holes.
He pushed further ahead after the turn, sinking a 40-footer for birdie and playing two exceptional bunker shots to pick up a couple of more strokes.
Tapy said later, “I didn’t have a great 2021 season. It was below expectations.
“I worked hard on all aspects of my game before the start of the 2022 season and also put in time in the gym in order to improve my fitness.
“My only other title has come here so I have good memories from Ahmedabad even though it was at a different course. I also played well during the Gujarat Open last year at Kalhaar.
“I played my bunker shots really well today that helped set up two birdie opportunities. Bunker shots have been one of my strengths for quite some time.”
Precise play
Kapil Kumar mixed six birdies and a bogey to rise four spots to second place.
Kapil’s precision with his tee shot on 11 led to a tap-in birdie and gave him the much-needed momentum for the rest of the day.
Arjun Prasad’s flawless round featured a 15-foot eagle conversion on the fifth and five birdies.
Arjun landed it within inches of the flag on two occasions including once for a par save from a tight spot in the hazard on 15. Prasad’s 65 helped him climb 28 spots on day two.
Karandeep Kochhar, the round one leader, shot a 75 to slip to tied ninth place on 5-under 139.
Among the Gujarat-based golfers, Anshul Patel (73-70) was the highest-placed at T17 on 1-under 143.
The other local golfers to make the cut were Varun Parikh and Shravan Desai, both placed T39 on 4-over 148.
Reigning PGTI Order of Merit champion Udayan Mane missed the cut with a 6-over 150.
Also read: Kochhar sizzles with a 64 for round one lead at Gujarat Open
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