Amardeep Malik surges ahead by two strokes

Ahmedabad, Aug 6 (PTI) Amardeep Malik's hot putter helped him surge ahead by two strokes in round two of the India Open at the Kensville Golf & Country Club here on Wednesday.

The Noida-based Amardeep (69-65) carded seven-under 65 to total 10-under 134 for the week in the Rs 1 crore prize money event.

Angad Cheema (69-67) of Chandigarh, who was the overnight joint leader along with Malik, posted a 67 on day two to be placed second at eight-under 136.

Delhi's Shaurya Bhattacharya (71-66) shot a 66 to be placed third at seven-under 137.

The halfway cut fell at five-over 149. Fifty-three professionals and one amateur made the cut.

Amardeep began the day with a 15-feet birdie conversion on the 10th. He then went on to pick up four more birdies from a range of eight to 20 feet on the back-nine.

Amardeep's hot streak with the putter continued on the front-nine as he sank birdies from 25 feet and a mammoth 50 feet on the first and third holes respectively. Malik, a two-time winner on the PGTI, capped his round with a bogey and birdie on the fifth and sixth.

"I tried to hit the safest shot possible today and as a result found most fairways and greens. I guess I also got lucky on the tough greens today as I converted a lot of long putts," Amardeep said.

"One has to be careful with the speed because the speed is really tricky on these greens. I think sometimes a player gets into a zone where it just feels easy.

"I haven't played a lot of golf in the last two and a half months as I recently became a father. But I'm just glad to be back on the course and competing in the very first event after the resumption of the season." Angad Cheema, who recently played the qualifying event for The Open in the UK, came up with a 40-feet eagle conversion on the sixth along with five birdies and two bogeys.

Delhi's Rakshit Dahiya (72-71), the only amateur in the field, made the cut as he was placed an impressive tied 12th at a total of one-under 143.

Local lad Varun Parikh (74-70) was a further shot back in tied 15th position. Varun was the only Ahmedabad-based player to make the cut. PTI AH PDS PDS