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El Jadida: Kochhar, Kartik in the hunt as Thai duo lead AM Green IGPL Bharath Classic
Kochhar, who has twice finished runner-up on the Asian Tour and already boasts two top-five finishes this season, is tied for fifth place at 5-under-par after rounds of 66 and 73, He is joined in fifth by Indian teenager Kartik Singh
Chandigarh golfer Karandeep Kochhar stayed firmly in contention for a maiden Asian Tour title after battling difficult windy conditions to card a second-round 1-over 73 at the US$500,000 ( ₹4.75 crore) AM Green IGPL Bharath Classic on Saturday.
Kochhar, who has twice finished runner-up on the Asian Tour and already boasts two top-five finishes this season, is tied for fifth place at 5-under-par after rounds of 66 and 73. He is joined in fifth by Indian teenager Kartik Singh, who followed his opening 70 with a steady 69 to remain in the title race heading into the weekend.
The leaderboard is jointly headed by Thailand’s Settee Prakongvech and Runchanapong Youprayong at 9-under, four shots clear of Kochhar and the chasing pack. Settee produced a bogey-free 65 despite strong winds, while overnight leader Runchanapong added a 70 to maintain his share of the lead.
Kochhar endured a frustrating finish with a three-putt bogey but remained positive about his overall performance. “I still think I played really well. The putting has actually been very good because I’ve worked on it a lot,” he said.
Among the other Indians, amateur Jai Bahl and Yashas Chandra were placed at 1-under, while Shaurya Bhattacharya and Raghav Chugh were level par after two rounds. Veteran Gaganjeet Bhullar, Pukhraj Singh Gill, and Rashid Khan were tied 49th as the tournament headed into a crucial weekend.
