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Tata Steel PGTI Players Championship 2020: Overnight leader Akshay continues domination on Day 2
Another golfer from Chandigarh, Karandeep Kochhar, tied-second
After a superb eight-under-64 in the first round at Panchkula, Chandigarh golfer Akshay Sharma capitalised at his home course, Chandigarh Golf Club, on Thursday with a card of six-under-66, a second straight bogey-free round, on Day 2 of the TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship 2020 Presented by Panchkula Golf Club.
With a tally of 14-under-130, the 30-year-old caddy–turned pro is on top of the leaderboard.
Another Chandigarh golfer, Karandeep Kochhar, who was placed tied-fourth on Wednesday, shot the day’s best overall score of seven-under-65 to finish at tied second with a two-day score of 11-under-133. He was playing at Panchkula course.
Bengaluru’s Chikkarangappa, a 13-time winner on the PGTI, was also tied for second as a result of his 67 in Chandigarh.
Each half of the field has so far played a round each at the Panchkula Golf Club and the Chandigarh Golf Club. The next two rounds (third and fourth) will be played at the Panchkula Golf Club.
The halfway cut came down at four-over-148 with 54 professionals making it to the money rounds.
Akshay (64-66), the overnight leader by two shots, lived up to his own expectations of building on his lead in favourable home conditions.
Akshay, currently 29th on the PGTI order of merit, went error-free for the second day in succession to extend his lead to three strokes. He came up with the best score on Thursday.
Akshay made two long birdie conversions, a 12-footer and a 20-footer, on the ninth and 11th respectively. He also set up tap-in birdies with his exceptional chipping on the 13th and 16th.
“The key to today’s round was the momentum earlier on as I started with par and birdie on the first two holes. I was expecting a low score today and I achieved that so it’s quite satisfying and puts me in a strong position. Importantly, I continued to find the greens and hit 15 regulations today following up on my 17 in round one,” Sharma said.
“As the final two rounds are in Panchkula, where anyone can shoot a low round if they hit regulation. My focus will be on placement as it was during my first round in Panchkula,” he added.
Karandeep Kochhar (68-65) gained two spots to move into tied second as a result of his 65. Kochhar was off to an explosive start with six birdies on the front-nine which featured conversions from 25 feet, 35 feet and three quality up and downs including one from the bunker. He had a brilliant run of four straight birdies from the fifth to the eighth.
After a three-putt bogey on the 14th, Karandeep came back strong with birdies on the next three holes where he came up with some immaculate wedge shots including a chip-in on the 17th. The tall and lanky Kochhar closed with a bogey on the last which he attributed to wrong club-selection on the tee.
Chikkarangappa (66-67), who was overnight sole second, produced six birdies and a bogey en route his 67 that placed him joint second along with Kochhar.
There was daylight between the top-3 and the rest as Chandigarh’s Aadil Bedi (69) and Patna’s Aman Raj (69) were next best in tied fourth at six-under-138.
