Antwerp (Belgium), May 25 (PTI) Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma hit four birdies in a row on his first nine to ensure a smooth passage into the weekend rounds of the Soudal Open here.
The two-time DP World Tour champion, Sharma, who missed the cut when he played the event last two times, followed up his first round 69 with a second round 67 to get to 6-under.
He was tied-23rd at the halfway stage, but eight shots behind the leader, Spain’s Nacho Elvira (64-64).
The other Indian in fray, Om Prakash Chouhan continued to struggle as he missed the cut with 72-74.
Chouhan, who came to the DPWT by topping the Indian Tour Order of Merit, has made just one cut in nine starts on the DPWT and one in two starts on the Challenge Tour.
Spaniard Elvira will take a one-shot lead into the weekend after consecutive rounds of 64 in Antwerp.
The Spaniard went bogey-free over the opening two days to get to 14-under par as he chases a second DP World Tour title at the Rinkven International Golf Club.
Sharma, playing alongside the leader, Elvira, began from the 10th and had five birdies and a bogey on the back nine of the layout. It included four birdies in a row from 15th to the 18th. On his second nine had one birdie and one bogey.
Also, starting from the 10th, Elvira made gains on the 12th, 14th, 16th and 18th to turn in 31, while a flurry of birdies from the third to fifth took him to the top of the leaderboard as he aims to add to the Cazoo Open title he claimed in 2021.
Former European Ryder Cup player Ross Fisher leapt into contention with a bogey-free round of his own, reaching 13-under after an eight under par 63 for his lowest DP World Tour round in over two years.
Frenchman Romain Langasque is at 11 under, also keeping a clean card in his round of 67, with Dane Niklas Nørgaard, Andrew Wilson of England, Canadian Aaron Cockerill and overnight leader Sam Jones of New Zealand a shot further back.
Thomas Pieters remains the leading Belgian, delighting the home fans with a five under par 66 that included an eagle on the par four 13th, to sit alongside English pair Matt Baldwin and Joe Dean at nine under.
Source: PTI News
