Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, Aug 6 (Inditop.com) Gaurav Ghei, coming back from a series of personal and physical struggles this year, shot a four-under 67 to jump to tied eighth at the end of the second round of the Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters here Thursday.
Meanwhile, India’s latest golfing star, Gaganjeet Bhullar avoided missing the cut by the narrowest margins despite a late bogey on eighth, after starting from the tenth. Bhullar made the cut at three-over with a second round 71 after a first round 74.
Ghei, who had an even par 71 on first day shot six birdies and two bogeys during his round. Digvijay Singh (71), and Rahil Gangjee (72) were tied at 18th at two-under 140. Gangjee slipped down from tenth overnight. Anirban Lahiri slid from sixth to 30th after going three-over 74 in second round for a total of one-under.
At the top of the leaderboard, Asia’s rising stars Noh Seung-yul of Korea and Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat shared the joint lead.
Ghei, who lost his father, two months ago, said: “It has been a tough year, I had a problem with my wrist at the beginning of the year and I had tendonitis in my right wrist which slowed me down. I couldn’t practice as much as I wanted too. My father passed away a couple of months back. But that’s the way it is and you have to figure it out and get yourself back on track.”
He added: “I didn’t work much on my golf in the summer. I played golf at home but didn’t see my coach or didn’t really practice as much as I wanted to but hopefully things will turn around in the second half of the year.”
Ghei, who has three Asian Tour titles against his name, said: “I hit a few good shots and putted well today so that was a big thing. I played pretty solid golf, made six birdies and actually missed birdies on five and six which are really easy holes.”
The 18-year-old Noh, winner of the Midea China Classic and Rookie of the Year last season, and Kiradech, 20, shot a three-under-par 68 and 70 respectively to head the pack with their two-day total of seven-under-par 135 at the Seri Selangor Golf Club.
The supremely talented duo lead by one stroke from South Africa’s James Kamte and Malaysian Shaaban Hussain in the RM1 million (US$300,000) Asian Tour tournament. Kamte stayed in the hunt with a battling 70 while Shaaban produced a 69 to fly the local flag.
Australian Mitchell Brown, Chinese Taipei veteran Lu Chien-soon and another Malaysian, S. Siva Chandhran lie in tied fifth position on 137, going into the final two rounds.
The halfway cut was set at three-over-par 145 with 71 players making the last two rounds. Overnight leader Danny Chia of Malaysia, still suffering from flu, slipped back to tied 30th place after a 77 while title holder Ben Leong is in joint 55th place on 144.
rounak