Chandigarh: Local hero Akshay Sharma shot a two-under 70 on the second day of the inaugural Trident Open, an INR 1 crore event played at Chandigarh Golf Club, joining Manu Gandas at the top of the clubhouse.
Akshay (69-70) shot a total of five-under 139 after 36 holes to lead the field along with Manu (66-73).
The second round could not be completed on Wednesday as play was suspended at 5:40 p.m. local time due to fading light. Seven out of a total of 123 players still have to finish their second round. Play resumes at 6:50 a.m. on Thursday.
Md Somrat Sikdar of Bangladesh, one of seven players who had not completed the second round, was at six under after 16 holes when play was suspended on the second day. Once play resumes on Thursday morning, he will be fighting for the halftime lead.
The tournament is supported by title sponsor Trident Group. Trident Group is an Indian business conglomerate and global player led by the dynamic Mr. Rajinder Gupta, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and Chairman. Headquartered in Ludhiana, Punjab, Trident is one of the largest home furnishings players in India and abroad.
The strong support of PGTI’s tour partners throughout the year helps elevate the prominence of Indian professional golf. PGTI’s tour partners are Rolex, Amul, IndusInd Bank, Victorious Choice, Campa, Amrutanjan Electro Plus, Golf Plus Monthly and Golf Design India.
Former Indian No. 1 junior Shubham Jaglan, who has played professional golf in the United States this year and is making his PGTI debut this week, finished third in the clubhouse with a four-under 140 total along with Bangladesh’s Badal Hossain, Mohd Azhar, Shamim Khan, Shaurya Bhattacharya and Manoj S.
PGTI ranking topper and local hero Yuvraj Sandhu made a strong comeback after his opening round of 72 on the second day. On Wednesday, he shot a 69, raising his total to three-under 141.
From today’s perspective, the cut at the end of the second round should be one in 148.
Winner of three professional titles, 35-year-old Akshay Sharma is aiming for his first win on his home course. Akshay started the day with good birdies on the second and third holes. As Sharma continued to hit his shots close to the flags, he got another birdie on the 11th.
Akshay, currently 20th on the PGTI Order of Merit with five top-10 finishes on the season including a runner-up finish, dropped his only bogey of the day on the 13th.
Akshay said: “I am extremely happy with today’s performance as a two-under score is a good result in the current conditions. The course is not easy to play as the greens play fast and the pins are hard. I hit it close throughout the day but struggled with my putting.”
“The challenge of adapting to the slightly cold morning and evening conditions is also a factor. I think 12 under could be a winning point here. That’s what I want to achieve by the end of the week. I’m keen to win on my home course, something I haven’t achieved yet.”
Manu Gandas, who started the day as the first round leader, remained in the hunt despite his 73 on the second day.
MD Somrat Sikdar was at two under on the second day thanks to his exceptional wedge play and a 30-foot conversion over 16 holes. His second shot on the par-4 17th hit the edge of the green as play was suspended.
