Naya Raipur, Sep 16 (IANS) Khalin Joshi posted a bogey-free four-under 30 to extend his lead to two shots after the second round of the inaugural INR 1 crore Nava Raipur Open, being played at the Fairway Golf & Lake Resort in Naya Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
The 34-year-old Bengaluru golfer (29-30), who began the day with a one-shot advantage, made four birdies to move to nine-under 59 at the halfway stage. Joshi, a two-time winner on the PGTI Tour this season and currently 12th in the Race to the India Championship, has not dropped a shot over the opening 18 holes.
Heavy rain left the course unsuitable for full 18-hole rounds, prompting the Tournament Committee to stage each of the four rounds over the back nine.
Kolkata’s 20-year-old Aryav Shah (30-31) made four birdies and one bogey in a three-under 31 to share second place at seven-under 61 with Nepal’s Subash Tamang (32-29), Bengaluru’s Akshay Neranjen (30-31) and Panchkula’s Raunil Kukar (31-30).
Tamang, 24, produced the joint lowest score of the second round, making five birdies in a bogey-free 29 to climb into contention.
Joshi began his round with a birdie after striking a hybrid from the tee and following it with a precise approach. “It was another solid day,” Joshi said. “I felt a little more tentative and less comfortable than yesterday, but continued to hit quality shots throughout the round. I’m pleased with the way I played.”
The two consecutive bogey-free rounds have reflected the quality of Joshi’s ball-striking. “My game has been solid from tee to green,” he said. “I’ve also been hitting my approaches close to the flags, so I haven’t faced too many long birdie putts.”
Joshi has made the most of the scoring opportunities on the 10th, 12th and 13th during both rounds. “The 12th is drivable, while the 13th is a short par five where a good tee shot gives you an excellent birdie opportunity,” he said.
“I’ve hit good tee shots on both holes and taken advantage. Hopefully, I can continue doing that over the final two rounds.”
Seven players shared sixth place at six-under 62: Chandigarh’s Umed Kumar (33-29), Kolkata’s Sunit Chowrasia (33-29), Gurugram’s Veer Ahlawat (32-30), Sri Lanka’s Chalitha Pushpika (30-32), Chandigarh’s Vasu Sehgal (31-31), Noida’s Bipin Mukhiya (30-32), Faridabad’s Karan Pratap Singh (32-30).
Chowrasia earned promotion to the DP World PGTI after winning three consecutive NexGen events and finishing atop the rankings, while Ahlawat was the 2024 DP World PGTI Rankings champion.
The cut fell at three-under 65, with 56 players from the field of 132 advancing to the final two rounds.
--IANS
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