Chouhan matches course record to grab Vooty Masters lead

By Rahul Banerji

Continuing in Mhow’s tradition of producing battling golfers, Om Prakash Chouhan climbed into the halfway lead at the Rs 1 crore Vooty Masters in Vikarabad on Friday.

In doing so, Chouhan matched the course record of nine-under-par 63 set by Manu Gandas in round one and open up a two-shot lead at Vooty Golf County near Hyderabad.

Chouhan now totals 15-under 129 going into Moving Day while overnight leader Gandas slipped to second place on 13-under 131 after Friday’s four-under 68, the PGTI said.

Chandigarh’s Angad Cheema (67), tied second overnight, was third on 12-under 132 at the event’s inaugural edition, presented by the Dream Valley Group.

The cut came at one under 143 with 50 professionals and one amateur making the grade.

Chouhan (66-63) had early jitters as he saved par from the bunker on his first hole of the day.

The 36-year-old, who is a seven-time winner on the PGTI, then made his first move of the day with a 15-foot eagle conversion almost immediately after.

Chouhan, sixth on the money list, built on the momentum with a birdie after driving the 15^th green and pulled off a par save from the bunker before picking up another shot on the turn.

Sandy gains

Already a winner this year, the Mhow golfer had an even better back nine with five birdies including three on up and downs from the bunker.

Om Prakash said, “Every aspect of my game was sharper today as compared to round one, especially my second shots and bunker shots.

“I changed my driver and 3-wood last week as I felt that I wasn’t hitting it that well. The new clubs have helped me improve both my distance and accuracy off the tee.

“I felt the rhythm after the good par-save on 10. Then the agle conversion on 12 got my putter going.

“This is a new golf course for all of us so I utilised the practice round and the pro-Am really well. That eventually helped me a lot in planning my game.”

Off day

Gurgaon’s Gandas (63-68) had an off day with his approach shots despite putting together six birdies in exchange for a double-bogey.

That setback in the first half of his round altered the momentum after he had picked up two birdies on his first six holes.

Noida’s Gaurav Pratap Singh (65) was fourth on 10-under 134.  

PGTI Order of Merit leader and five-time winner this season Yuvraj Singh Sandhu (71), was tied 12^th on six-under 138.

Ajeetesh Sandhu (69), one of the pre-event favourites, was tied 17^th on five-under 139.

Fifteen-year-old Noida-based player Aarav D. Shah was the lone amateur to make the cut as he totalled one under 143 to be tied 40^th.

All the players from Hyderabad missed the cut.

Also read: Gandas shoots into Vooty Masters lead with clean nine-under round