The low-scoring spree continued on the second day as three players closed-in on overnight leader Mukesh Kumar even as the 'Champion golfer of the year' submitted a bogey-free card of four-under 68 to be in sole lead at the end of the half-way stage of the Rs One million TNGF-KONE Open 2003, the third leg of the Hero Honda Indian Golf Tour, at the Cosmo-TNGF Golf Course on Wednesday.
As many as 50 pros and one amateur made it to the money making rounds when the cut was applied at three-over 147, a record low at the Cosmo-TNGF course.
Delhi pros Pappan, Amit Dube and Shamim Khan, runner-up in the last event, S Madaiah were the prominent ones to miss the cut. Host club's B Gurunath was the lone amateur making the professional cut.
Arjun Singh shot a six-under 66 to be in the sole second spot on 135 while Uttam Singh Mundy returned the day's best card of seven-under 65 to share the third spot with Digvijay Singh.
Mukesh Kumar continued from where he had left in the opening round to be 12-under 132 for the tournament thus far. After a par on the opening hole, the pro from Mhow made his first birdie on the par-5 472-yard second. Using a 4-iron on his second shot, Mukesh was in the bunker on the right from where he almost chipped-in but had to settle for a birdie.
The pick of Mukesh's three other birdies was on the 418-yard fifth, the longest of the par-4s. Getting off the tee with a driver, he reached the green with a six-iron while sinking a 10-footer for a birdie. The 33-year-old's other birdies came on the sixth and 16th. A par saved on the par-4 12th was another highlight of Mukesh's spotless round. After his tee shot had landed in front of a tree on the right, he had a very difficult shot which he made it look so easy and reached the green. However, he misjudged the speed of the green and went past the flag by about four feet and made par.
"The round could have been still better but for my putting. But I am happy that I have not dropped a single shot until now. I am confident of a win here, said Mukesh.
Meanwhile, Arjun Singh fired eight birdies and went over on two holes in his round. Beginning from the 10th, the Delhi pro made a hat trick of birdies starting from the 14th. The 15-footer on the 15th was the pick of them while he finished his front nine with yet another birdie. However, he faltered at the first hurdle on his return journey when he hit his second shot in the bunker and failed to make chip-putt. The other bogey came on the par-3 fourth where the lanky pro hit over the green into the bunker. However he recouped to make birdies on alternate holes starting from the very next hole.
"It could still be anybody. There are a lot of good scores pouring in. I am quite happy about my game," said Arjun Singh, who is the only player to defend the Honda Siel PGA Championship title successfully.
Uttam Singh Mundy returned the day's best card of a bogey-free round of seven-under 65 to aggregate eight-under 136. A 15-footer on the eighth hole was the best of the lot. The Indian Airlines-sponsored pro who bears an `Eveready' smile hit 17 regulations. "I could have putted a bit better. I am happy with my hitting. I hope to be amongst them," said Mundy.
Scores (after 36 holes):
(Pros): 132_Mukesh Kumar (64,68); 135_Arjun Singh (69,66); 136_Digvijay Singh (67,69), Uttam Singh Mundy (71,65); 137_Harmeet Kahlon (69,68); 138_Rafiq Ali (67,71); Ashok Kumar (67,71); 139_Amritinder Singh (73,66), Vijay Kumar (68,71); 140_Gurbaaz Mann (67,73), Zai Kipgen (69,71); 141_Indrajit Bhalotia (73,68), Gaurav Ghei (69,72), Sandeep Syal (68,73).
Amateurs: 146_B Gurunath (74,72); 148_Abhishek Ahlawat (75,73); 149_L Selvadurai (71,78).
