Veer Ganapathy leads stellar field after day two of IGPL UAE with Pranavi Urs in hot pursuit

Dubai, Dec 9 (PTI) Bengaluru youngster Veer Ganapathy fired a six-under 66 to hold the day two lead in the IGPL UAE here on Tuesday, the first overseas foray by the new league.

Ganapathy had a 36-hole total of eight-under 136 at the Els Club.

Ladies European Tour regular and a winner in the inaugural season of the Indian Golf Premier League, Pranavi Urs was a close second with her second successive three-under 69 for a two-day total of six-under 138 alongside her close friend Karandeep Kochhar (69-69) and long-hitting Ludhiana golfer Pukhraj Singh Gill (70-68).

Overnight leader and former Indian Open winner SSP Chawrasia, followed his opening seven-under 65 with a two-over 74 on Tuesday to be in sole possession of fifth place on five-under 139 along with three-time IGPL winner Gaganjeet Bhullar (67-72), IGPL Order of Merit winner Aman Raj (70-69) and fast-rising young talent Raghav Chugh (72-67).

The left-handed Ganapathy, coached by his father Rahul, fired an eagle and four birdies against one dropped shot to make the turn at the testing par-72 Els Club course in 5 under 31 before adding a further two birdies and a bogey on his way back to the clubhouse.

Pranavi, a winner on the IGPL this season at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club (BPGC), where she closed with a stunning eight-under 60 to emerge as the first winner at a mixed event in India, was two strokes behind Ganapathy.

The Mysuru golfer mixed five birdies with two dropped shots in her 3 under 69 while Kochhar had six birdies against three bogeys and Gill set out well with an eagle and three birdies to turn in 4 under 36 before a level par back nine saw him close on 4 under 68 for the day.

Chawrasia, a six-time winner on the Asian Tour, four of them at events co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour, needed to grind it out on Tuesday to stay in touch with the leaders and he sits just three shots behind day two leader Ganapathy along with Bhullar Aman Raj and Chugh.

Tournament host Shiv Kapur shared 16th place on 1 under 143 along with Jeev Milkha Singh, who flew in for the event straight from Mauritius, where he was the runner-up in the MCB Mauritius on the European Legends Tour for Over-50s. PTI ATK UNG