Dhaka, February 28, 2017: Bengaluru’s Udayan Mane hit the front with a five-under-67 in round two of the bti Open 2017. Mane’s two-day total of seven-under-137 placed him one shot clear of the rest at the Rs. 40 lakh event being played at the Kurmitola Golf Club (KGC) in Dhaka.
Khalin Joshi, another Bengalurean, signed for a 69 to be placed second at six-under-138 at the halfway stage. The Chandigarh duo of Feroz Singh Garewal (66) and Harendra Gupta (69) were a further shot back in tied third. Garewal’s six-under-66 was the best round of the day.
The halfway cut was set at five-over-149 with 50 professionals and one amateur making it through to the last two rounds. Nineteen Bangladeshi golfers made the cut.
Udayan Mane’s (70-67) top-class 67 propelled him from overnight tied sixth to first position. Mane, a two-time winner on the PGTI, fired six birdies against a lone bogey on Tuesday to rise into contention.
The 26-year-old Udayan, playing his third season as a professional, had it all going for him on day two as he sank three birdie putts from a range of 10 to 15 feet and also made a couple of chip-putt birdies. The only blemish on his card was a bogey on the second where he missed an up and down.
Mane, the 2015 PGTI Emerging Player of the Year, said, “After a terrific rookie season in 2015 where I won two events, I think I expected a bit too much from myself in the following season. I did have a decent 2016 but not as per my expectations.
“I see the past year as a learning curve and am now just working at getting the process and the basics right without thinking too much about the results. I’m just looking to improve in all aspects of the game. That’s the new approach I have for this season.
“I feel I’m carrying forward the good form from the last event in Hyderabad where I finished tied 11th despite being unwell on the last two days,” added Udayan, who finished tied 10th at the Asian Tour’s Bangladesh Open played at the same venue earlier this month.
Khalin Joshi (69-69), a three-time winner on the PGTI, moved up from overnight tied third to second after posting a second straight 69 that featured five birdies and two bogeys. Joshi had lost in a playoff and finished runner-up at the last PGTI event two weeks back.
Khalin said, “I’ve been close to winning for some time now. I feel my game is getting better with each passing week. I’ve done well at the KGC having been the joint runner-up at the Asian Tour’s Bangladesh Open staged here back in 2015. I was also ninth at this year’s edition of the Bangladesh Open held earlier this month. So I feel I have a good chance this week.
Feroz Singh Garewal produced the best round of the day, a six-under-66, also the best round of the tournament so far, to make his way up from overnight tied 27th to tied third at five-under-139. Feroz’s error-free round included four consecutive birdies from the second to the fifth. Harendra Gupta’s second round 69 meant that he too took a share of third place.
Round one leader Md Sanju of Kolkata dropped to tied fifth at four-under-140 as a result of his second round of 73. The Delhi duo of Rashid Khan (71) and Naman Dawar (70) also closed the day in joint fifth.
Rabin Miah (71-72) was the highest placed Bangladeshi golfer in tied 13th at one-under-143.
PGTI Order of Merit leader Ajeetesh Sandhu (71) of Chandigarh was also placed tied 13th at the halfway stage.
Md Zamal Hossain Mollah (71-75), the leading golfer from the host nation, occupied tied 29th place at two-over-146.
