Shamim, Muniyappa share second day lead at Delhi-NCR Open

By Rahul Banerji

Veterans Shamim Khan of Delhi and Bangalore’s C. Muniyappa moved into the joint second round lead on 9-under-135 at the Rs 30 lakh Tata Steel PGTI Delhi-NCR Open at a wet and rainy Noida Golf Course on Wednesday.

The smooth-striking Shamim, a two-time winner at the NGC, shot the day’s best score of 6-under-66 while former Hero Indian Open winner Muniyappa fired a 3-under-69.

Asian Tour regular Chikkarangappa S. of Bangalore brought in a card of 69 to be placed third at 8-under-136 at the halfway stage of the event. Rashid Khan, the other Indian top-10 finisher at the Hero Indian Open was in shared eighth place on 4-under 140.

Good conditions

Players witnessed pleasant weather for the second successive day as a result of the overcast conditions though rain and lightning in the second half day led to a 25-minute stoppage in play. There was also a 10-minute dust storm which preceded the rain.

The cut fell at 2-over-146 with 51 professionals and one amateur making the weekend rounds.

Shamim (69-66) moved up nine placed from overnight tied 10^th as a result of his flawless effort on the day. Khan, a winner of 14 events on the PGTI, was 1-under through his first seven holes on Wednesday before he picked up the pace with consecutive birdies before the turn.

On the par-5 eighth he played a brilliant bunker shot that landed a foot from the flag while on the ninth he sank a 15-footer.

Accuracy pays

Shamim then picked up three more birdies on the back nine after landing close to the pin on the par-5 13^th, chipping-in on the 16^th and draining it from 21 feet on the 18^th.

Khan said later, “My confidence with the putter has been low in recent times. But my putting average was much better today and that led to the good score. I also capitalised after landing it really close on a few occasions.

“I’ve already posted two top-10s this year and my scores have been consistent so now it’s just a matter of putting four good rounds together. I’m always confident of playing well at NGC as I’ve won here on two previous occasions.

“I feel that I’m now well-placed to consolidate over the last two days,” added Shamim, who won his last PGTI event in November last year at Digboi in Assam.

Putting at will

Muniyappa (66-69) rolled in putts almost at will on the day as five of his six birdies were conversions from between 15 and 25 feet though he was also to drop three shots. He still gained one place from his overnight second.

Muniyappa said, “It was all about my putting today as I kept finding the hole. I’ve managed to go back to my old golf swing and that has also been very reassuring. I had a solid back-nine today with two birdies and no errors and that has given me the added confidence going into the last two days.”

Chikkarangappa’s six birdies and three bogeys saw him move within one shot of the lead at eight-under-136.

First round leader Shankar Das of Kolkata slipped to fourth place at 6-under-138 after he shot a 73.

Defending champion Honey Baisoya of Delhi was tied 11^th place at 3-under-141. Vikrant Chopra was the best-placed among the Noida golfers. He was tied 28^th at level-par 144.

Harshjeet Singh Sethie of Noida was the only amateur to make the cut, at tied 37^th on 1-over-145.

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