S S P Chawrasia produced another masterful display at Delhi Golf Club to lead the Hero Indian Open, but fellow course specialist Siddikur Rahman is only one stroke behind at the halfway stage.
Chawrasia and Rahman were part of a five-way tie for the first-round lead, and it was Bangladesh’s Rahman who initially pulled clear with a second round 68 around the narrow tree-lined course.
Chawrasia, among the later starters, then produced a flawless 67 – he is yet to drop a shot this week – for a ten under par aggregate.
“I’m playing very well the last two days,” said 36 year old Chawrasia, who has won twice around this track including his maiden European Tour victory in 2008. “I’ve played here many times so I know how to play on this course; this is the first time I’m bogey free after 36 holes.
“I feel good and aggressive - I will do the same on the last two days. I’m very happy because I saved a lot of pars: it wasn’t easy to keep the bogeys away from my card, I had to make a lot of saves.
“It is tough when the wind changes direction but I know how to handle it here. I played well through the 2014 season and I started well this year as well, so I’m feeling very confident. I’m very excited for the next two days.”
Rahman was the last winner of this event two years ago, prior to it becoming co-sanctioned by The European Tour, and has only finished outside of the top ten once in 11 appearances at this venue.
After four birdies and a single bogey in his first 12 holes, Siddikur double bogeyed the fourth after driving into bushes, but responded well with back-to-back birdies to finish his round..
The 30 year old – a two-time winner on the co-sanctioning Asian Tour – made an up-and-down from a greenside bunker at the long eighth and then made an eight footer at the ninth to complete a three under par 68.
“I was a little bit disappointed with my double bogey because I had a good number of birdies,” said the World Number 267.
“I really enjoy playing here and I want to keep the same rhythm in in the next two rounds. You will definitely have some pressure but I always try my best to avoid it.”
Two more of the leading quintet from day one, Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren and Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat, shot level par rounds of 71 to share third place on six under.
Recent Maybank Malaysian Open winner Anirban Lahiri carded the round of the day with a 65 which contained only six pars as he moved into the top ten, while Prayad Marksaeng and Abhinav Lohan took the tally for aces on the 2015 Race to Dubai to a whopping 15.
