Sizzling Lahiri opens up 3-stroke lead
Greater Noida: Anirban Lahiri set the Jaypee Greens on fire, blasting a phenomenal seven-under 65 to open up a three-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the BILT Open golf tournament here on Friday.
Joint runners-up last year, Lahiri seemed determined to better the feat this year and his two-day total now stands at a staggering 13-under 131.
Amardip Sinh Malik is placed second at 10-under 134 after the golfer from Meerut shot six-under 66 on Friday.
Himmat Singh Rai (135), while Vikrant Chopra, Harendra Gupta and Mukesh Kumar share the fourth place at eight-under 136. Naman Dawar produced a superb 65 to be lone seventh at 137.
In all, 52 professionals made the cut after the cut-line was set at three-over 147.
Lahiri did not put a foot wrong today as he birdied the 12th, 14th and 18th to be three-under at the turn and he picked up four more shots in his front nine.
“I feel this round of 65 has put me in a very strong position ahead of the weekend. My confidence is high at this stage and I feel quite relaxed,” Lahiri said.
“My target for the first two days was to improve on my BILT Open 2008 score for the first two days. I managed to equal that score so I more or less achieved my target,” said Lahiri.
The 22-year-golfer said he was particularly happy to have mastered the par-five holes.
“I’m glad that I took advantage of the par five holes and made them count. I am six-under for the par fives after two days. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself now and just want to take it one round at a time,” added the youngster.
Bureau Report