Jaipur, Oct 13 (Golf news) Bengaluru’s M Dharma produced a second straight eight-under 62, the day's best score, to open up a three-shot lead at 16-under 124 at the Rs 40 lakh Jaipur Open here on Wednesday.

The 35-year-old Dharma (62-62), who was tied second and one off the lead after round one, is now well-placed to improve upon his two third place finishes in the previous two editions of the Jaipur Open.

The two-time winner on the PGTI, currently placed 18th in the PGTI Order of Merit, sank an eagle and seven birdies at the cost of a solitary bogey in the second round at the par-70 Rambagh Golf Club (RGC).

Gurugram's Veer Ahlawat (64-63) had an astonishing run of six successive birdies on the back-nine during his second round of 63. He moved up four spots to tied second at 13-under 127.

Bengaluru’s Khalin Joshi (61-66), the round one leader, slipped to tied second along with Ahlawat after a second round of 66 that featured an eagle, four birdies and two bogeys.

The cut fell at three-under 137. Fifty professionals made the cut for the money rounds. Dharma had one of his best days with the putter in recent times. He sank birdies from a range of 10 to 15 feet on the first, third, fourth and sixth.

Dharma then missed an eagle by the narrowest of margins as his approach shot from 100 yards out stopped inches from the flag. He tapped-in for birdie there. His only bogey of the day came on the second hole.

On the back-nine, Dharma made further gains with a 20-feet birdie and a 25-feet eagle conversion on the 10th and 18th respectively. He also picked up a birdie on the 13th. Veer Ahlawat had a dream run of six straight birdies from the 13th to the 18th. He then had a relatively quieter front-nine, adding just one more birdie on his closing ninth hole.

Khalin Joshi was three-under over the first 10 holes but then had an up and down last eight holes collecting an eagle and a birdie in exchange for two bogeys.

Last week’s winner Viraj Madappa (64) of Kolkata and Chandigarh’s Harendra Gupta (65) were in tied fourth place at 12-under 128.

PGTI Order of Merit leader Karandeep Kochhar (64) of Chandigarh was in sixth at 11-under 129.

Olympian Udayan Mane (65) was tied eighth at nine-under 131.

Jaipur’s Hemendra Choudhary (66-70), playing at his home course, was placed tied 32nd at four-under 136. Choudhary was the only Jaipur-based player to make the cut. 

Also Read : Khalin Joshi takes lead at Jaipur Open with round of 61

News source : PTI