Rohana powers ahead as rookie Bedi climbs to second at Bengaluru

By Rahul Banerji 

Sri Lanka’s Anura Rohana opened a three-shot lead with an eight-under-par 64 in round two of the Bengaluru Open even as 17-year-old rookie Aadil Bedi rose to second with a classy 65 at the KGA course on Friday.

Rohana’s sublime bogey-free effort in windy conditions took his 36-hole total to an imposing 13-under-131 while Bedi was three behind on 10-under-134.

The cut fell at one-over-145 in the Rs. 60 lakh event with 62 professionals and one amateur making it to the weekend rounds.

Brisk opening

Rohana (45), who began the day in fourth one off the lead, was on the move quickly with birdies on his first two holes. Although he missed a number of short putts on the back-nine, he would pick up two more shots.

The Sri Lankan then picked up four more shots, signing off with a 20-foot birdie conversion on his closing hole, and said later, “The good start made me believe that it could be my day.

“Though I missed at least six birdie putts from close, my putting was right up there today. I knocked in a couple from 15 to 20 feet. It was windy but I handled the conditions well with some good club selection.

“I’ve won a PGTI event at the KGA back in 2011. So I know what it takes to win here. I’ve also shot a couple of six-under scores at this venue in the past. However, this is my best ever round here.

“I’ve not been playing well this year both on the Asian Tour and the PGTI so I know that I have to make up for that. This week I have the opportunity to do so.

“My target was to shoot at least five-under on all days. So far, I’m on track. If I manage scores of five-under over the last two rounds, I will definitely take home the trophy,” added Rohana, currently 21^st on the PGTI Order of Merit.

Career best

Aadil Bedi (69-65), playing only his fourth professional event, shot the best round of his short professional career  that saw him climb 13 places from overnight tied 15^th.

Bedi, who turned pro soon after the Asian Games in Jakarta in August this year, mixed eight birdies with one bogey on Friday.

He missed an eagle on the 11^th when his chip stopped an inch from the hole and then made birdie conversions from 30 and 15 feet on the 13^th and 17^th holes.

Good conditions

“I took advantage of the calm conditions in the morning,” Bedi said.

“After moving to four-under with a birdie on the sixth, I knew I was on course for a good score. The birdies on the 11^th and 13^th were huge as far as momentum is concerned.

“I had a rough start in round one as I was two-over through seven holes. But I made a good comeback as I fixed something in my swing midway through the round that helped me post a 69.

“In fact, after missing cuts in my first two professional events, I had a morale-boosting 12^th place finish at an Asian Development Tour event in Malaysia last week. That performance got me into a good frame of mind and prepared me well for this week’s event.

“As a junior I have won an event at the KGA so I have some good memories of the course which always helps.”

Round one joint leader Mukesh Kumar slipped to tied third at nine-under-135 with a 69 while Delhi’s Rashid Khan and Patna’s Aman Raj carded 67s to move alongside the Mhow veteran.

Chandigarh’s Harendra Gupta, another joint leader from round one, dropped to tied sixth at eight-under-136 after a round of 70 with Om Prakash Chouhan (68) of Mhow.

Defending champion Udayan Mane of Ahmedabad carded a 68 for tied eighth place at seven-under-137. C. Muniyappa (69) joined Mane as the highest-placed Bengaluru golfer.

Noida’s ace

Noida’s Raju Singh hit a hole-in-one during his round of 73 to be placed tied 39^th at even-par-144.

Local lad Aryan Roopa Anand was the only amateur to make the cut with scores of 71 and 74 to be tied 48^th at one-over-145.

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