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Vijay Kumar alone at the top

Vijay Kumar of Lucknow shot a level-par 72 after an indifferent day of golf, but that was good enough to give him sole possession on top of the leaderboard of the Rs 2.8 million Honda-Siel Pga Championship, co-sponsored by Daikin air-conditioners, at the 6,870-yard Delhi Golf Club today.

On the second day of the biggest event on the Wills Sport Indian Golf Tour, Vijay opened up a two-stroke lead over Ali Sher after aggregating six-under 138 for two rounds. Ali Sher shot a one-under 71 to tally four-under 140, while overnight joint leader Rafiq Ali slipped two spots to third place after a three-over 75 round today which took him to three-under 141.

In joint fourth place at two-under 142 were the defending champion Uttam Singh Mundy and Vishal Singh, both playing level-par rounds today, and Arjun Singh and Monish Bindra, with one-over 73s today.

The cut was applied at 10-over 154 and 53 professionals made it to the money-making rounds.

Starting from the 10th tee, Vijay hit two bogies and two birdies, both coming in successive holes. The bogies came on the par-3 12th where his tee shot went into the bunker and got plugged there. He could not come out of the bunker with his first shot and then made an up-and-down for bogey. On the very next hole, he missed his chip-putt from the edge of the green for another bogey. On the 18th, he was two-on, but was left with about a 55-footer for eagle before making an eight footer for birdie. On the very next hole, the 1st of the course, he was short of the green in two and made a chip-putt for birdie.

Twice Indian Open champion Ali Sher moved up to the second place with a one-under 71 round. He began with a terrific second shot on the 10th hole which almost hit the flag, but missed a three-footer birdie putt. On the very next hole, he holed his 9-iron second shot from 135 yards for an eagle. This was the third time he has gone two-under on a single hole in last five rounds.

In the second round of the Hero Golf Chandigarh Open, he holed his 6-iron second shot from the water hazard for an eagle on par-44th hole and then made a hole-in-one on the eighth hole next day. Thereafter, he had an up and down round as he struggled with his putter. In all, Ali Sher required 31 putts to finish the round.

Overnight leader Rafiq Ali had a terrible back nine after finishing even-par on the front nine. He made a double bogey from the bush on the 4th hole and a bogey on the 6th to finish three-over 75 for the day.

Nephew Raju Ali also plummeted down the leaderboard and was placed tied eighth at one-under 143 after a round of four-over 76 today.

The day's best card of three-under 69 was submitted by Harmeet Kahlon of Chandigarh. The India Cements-sponsored Kahlon made a bogey on the 3rd hole where he overclubbed his second shot with a 6-iron to over the green and then failed to make his chip-putt. He played a solid round thereafter and made birdies on the 4th, 7th, 8th, 14th and 18th. His only other bogey was on the 9th.

Scores (after 36 holes): 138 Vijay Kumar (66"72), 140-Ali Sher (69"71), 141-Rafiq Ali (66"75), 142-Uttam Singh Mundy (70"72), Vishal Singh (70"72), Arjun Singh (69"73), 143-Mukesh Kumar (73"70), Feroz Ali (72"71), Jumman (72"71), Shiv Prakash (71"72), Raju Ali (67"76), 144-Harmeet Kahlon (75"69), Amit Dube (72"76), 145-Gaurav Ghei (74"71), Indrajit Bhalotia (73"72).

Amateurs: 146-Ashok Kumar (73-73), 152 Shiv Kapur (76"76), Saurabh Bahuguna (76"76), 153-Simarjeet Ssingh (78"75).

UNI