Poom Saksansin shot a four-under-67 to remain in front of the field after two rounds of the TAKE Solutions Masters at the KGA on Friday. The Thai signed for a two-round total of 11-under 131 to open up a four-stroke lead over Khalin Joshi.
One shot behind Joshi was a bunch of five, including S. Chikkarangappa (68, 68). Tied with the latter at six-under were Sujjan Singh, Viraj Madappa, Rory Hie, and Rahil Gangjee.
The cut was applied at three-over, with Rashid Khan (72, 76), C. Muniyappa (69, 80) and Jeev Milkha Singh (79, 73) among those who missed out.
Saksansin made only one birdie on the front nine, but sank four on the back stretch. “It was a lot windier than yesterday,” he said. “It was not a sideways wind; it was either a headwind or tailwind, and that made tee shots difficult. I hit some good drives but my iron play was OK.”
His only bogey came on the par-four 17th, where he missed a relatively simple putt. “My caddy said ‘straight line’ but I went right and missed. I should have gone straight,” he said.
Joshi was disappointed with his score, having made 17 greens in regulation. “Conditions are tough,” he said. “The wind has been swirling and the rough is up. I did well with my wedges, setting up three tap-in birdies but I left some birdies out there. My driving and putting were not up to the mark.”
Chikkarangappa made five birdies and even an eagle on the 11th, where he made a putt from 50 feet. But there were also two bogeys and a double bogey.
Chikkarangappa struggled with his tee shots, hitting only three fairways in all, although his putting saved him. “I visited so many trees that I hadn’t seen in KGA all these years,” he said.
“But my putting is back. I don’t care if I go into the jungle when I’m putting so well.”
The double bogey on the par-five 14th was uncharacteristic of Chikkarangappa, going into a copse of trees on the right before finding a bunker on the left.
Once on the green, he three-putted from 12 feet.
“If I can hit more fairways,” he said, “I know a good score is coming.”
His rivals will be worried.
The scores (top-10 after 36 holes):
131: Poom Saksansin (Tha) 64, 67; 135: Khalin Joshi 68, 67; 136: Sujjan Singh 67, 69, Viraj Madappa 66, 70, Rory Hie (Ina) 69, 67, Rahil Gangjee 70, 66, S. Chikkarangappa 68, 68; 137: Syed Saqib Ahmed 67, 70, Danny Chia (Mas) 70, 67, Divyanshu Bajaj 66, 71.