Noida’s Amardeep Malik on his way into the day two lead of the Coal India Open at Kensville GCC in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. Image courtesy PGTI.
By Rahul Banerji
A hot putter helped Amardeep Malik grab a two-stroke lead in round two of the Coal India Open at the Kensville Golf & Country Club in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
Noida Golf Course’s Malik (69-65) fired a 7 under par 65 on Wednesday to total 10-under 134 for the week, the PGTI said.
Chandigarh’s Angad Cheema (69-67), the overnight joint leader with Malik, posted a 67 on day two to hold second place on 8 under 136.
Delhi’s Shaurya Bhattacharya (71-66) shot a 66 on the day to be placed third on 7 under 137.
The cut at the Rs 1 crore event fell at 5 over 149 with 53 professionals and one amateur making the final two rounds.
Malik began the day with a 15-foot birdie conversion and oicked up four more shots from between eight and 20 feet before the turn.
Hot streak
His good run with the putter continued on the front nine as he sank birdies from 25 feet and a mammoth 50 feet on the first and third holes respectively.
A two-time winner on the PGTI, Malik added a bogey and birdie on the fifth and sixth holes.
“I tried to hit the safest shot possible today and as a result found most fairways and greens,” Malik said latet.
Live coverage of Coal India Open day three at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYG4dUT621c
“I guess I also got lucky on the tough greens today as I converted a lot of long putts. One has to be careful with the speed because the speed is really tricky on these greens. Sometimes a player gets into a zone where it just feels easy.
“I haven’t played a lot of golf in the last two and a half months as I recently became a father. But I’m just glad to be back on the course and competing in the very first event after the resumption of the season.”
Cheema, who played the qualifying event for The Open in the UK, came up with a 40-foot eagle conversion on the sixth along with five birdies and two bogeys.
Delhi’s Rakshit Dahiya (72-71), the only amateur in the field, made the cut and was placed an impressive tied 12th on 1 under 143.
Local lad Varun Parikh (74-70) was a further shot back in tied 15th place, and was the only Ahmedabad-based player to make the cut.
Also read: Four-way tie for lead on day one of Coal India Open at Kensville
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