Two-way tie for lead on day two of Glade One Masters

By Rahul Banerji

Ankur Chadha of Gurgaon and Lucknow’s Sanjeev Kumar shared the honours on day two of the Glade One Masters leading the field on 4-under 68.

Both followed their overnight 35s with 3-under 33s to climb from their overnight tied ninth place at the Glade One Resort & Club.

They led by one shot over Noida’s Amardeep Malik (35-34) and Aditya Raj Kumar Chauhan (33-36) of Delhi, the PGTI said.

The first two rounds of the event comprised nine holes each. The cut fell at 3-over 75 with 53 three professionals making the grade.

The final two rounds will now comprise 18 holes each.

Chadha, fresh from his best season on the PGTI last year when he finished inside the top-30 of the Order of Merit, has carried forward the momentum this week.

The 27-year-old’s second round featured a 12-foot birdie conversion on the first hole, another birdie on five, a par save from the hazard on six and a 20-foot birdie conversion on the closing hole.

Ankur said, “It’s been a solid first two days for me except for just one unforced error in round one.

Positive start

“I’ve been nursing a wrist injury so this is my first event of the season and it’s good to begin the year on a positive note.”

Sanjeev Kumar endured a poor start as he was two-over after four holes.

However, his putter caught fire from the fifth hole onwards as he sank birdies all the way till the end making five conversions from a range of 15 to 30 feet.

Sanjeev said, “I didn’t lose heart despite the bad start. I knew it was a matter of just one birdie that could turn things around for me.

“The confidence just kept growing after my first birdie on the fifth where I sank a 15-footer.”

Malik picked up two early birdies, recovering well on the first hole from the bunker that landed within inches of the hole. He hit it close once again on the third.

Chauhan, overnight second, made bogey-birdie on the first two holes to keep himself in contention for the second day running.  

Ravi Kumar, Vinay Kumar Yadav, Abhijit Singh Chadha, Manu Gandas and Harsh Gangwar were bunched in tied fifth on 70s.

Two Gujarat-based golfers, Varun Parikh and Anshul Patel, made the cut. Varun was T28 on 73 and Anshul T46 on 75.

Also read: Rookie Vishav Pratap Singh Gill sets early pace at Glade One Masters