Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei), July 30 (IANS) Indian golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar’s first career hole-in-one saw him bring in a card of three-under 68 that pulled him up to tied 15th at the midway stage of the Brunei Open on The Asian Tour here Friday.
Also moving into tied 15th was Anirban Lahiri with a card of 67, the best among Indians. Both Bhullar and Lahiri were at five-under 137. Gurki Shergill, tied fifth overnight, shot 72 and dropped to tied 20th at for-under 138.
Five of the 10 Indians in the field made the half-way cut which saw 80 players assure themselves of weekend action. Other indians making the cut were C Muniyappa (70-70) in tied 37th and Himmat Rai (73-68) in tied 48th.
Meanwhile unheralded Siddikur of Bangladesh gave himself a shot at a historic victory after taking a two-shot halfway lead. Siddikur, who is the first Bangladeshi to play on the Asian Tour, posted a four-under-par 67 for his career’s best two-day total of 11-under-par 131 at the majestic Empire Hotel and Country Club.
Mandeep Pathania (76-69), Amandeep Johl (77-71), Digvijay Singh (71-78) and Rahil Gangjee (78-72) missed the cut while Baaz Mann withdrew in the second round.
‘My round could have been better. I was hitting my approach shots pretty close and missed a few return putts. Apart from that, I had a good round and I’m looking forward to the weekend,’ said Bhullar.
‘My hole-in-one was my first ever in a professional tournament. I missed so many by a fraction in the past and it was an amazing feeling to finally get an ace! I had two hole-in-ones previously but never in a professional tournament.’ Bhullar got a special prize of US $ 1000 for the ace.
‘I hit my five iron to 210 yards and my ball landed six feet short of the hole and rolled in. It was a tough hole and it was quite surprising. I couldn’t imagine I had a hole-in-one. In the last few years I missed so many hole-in-ones and I had a mental block,’ he added.
‘I missed a hole-in-one in Korea two years ago. I hit the flag stick and stayed about an inch away.’
Overnight leader Thammanoon Srirot of Thailand slipped to tied second place after a 71 for a 133 total alongside Australian Adam Groom, who returned a 68 at the US$300,000 full field Asian Tour tournament.
Sweet-swinging Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines, Malaysia’s Ben Leong and South African Jbe Kruger are a further stroke back on 134.
