Sandhu Leads Indian Challenge as Bhullar, Kochhar Make Cut in Morocco

Rabat: Ajeetesh Sandhu with a bogey free 3-under 70 became the top Indian at the halfway stage of the US$2 million International Series Morocco. Sandhu, who shot 1-under 72 in the first round is now 4-under and Tied-25th, as four-time IGPL winner, Gaganjeet Bhullar (74) slipped down to T-47 despite a run of four straight birdies on the front nine.

Another IGPL winner, Karandeep Kochhar (72-72) at T-47 was the only other Indian to make the cut.

Seven of the 10 Indians, who started missed the cut and they included Shauryra Bhattacharya, SSP Chawrasia and Anirban Lahiri missing the mark by one shot. Rashid Khan, Aryan Roopa Anand and Udayan Mane were the others to make an early exit.

Meanwhile, two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson joined Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert on top of the leaderboard. The 47-year-old Watson played great golf to overcome the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam’s Red Course. He carded a seven-under par 66, the lowest round of the day and caught up with Pavit, who closed with a three-under par 70 to tie at 11-under 135 total.

Watson hit 15 of the 18 fairways and made eight birdies against a solitary bogey.

Sandhu birdied the fifth, 11th and the 12th and did not drop any shots, while.

Bhullar starting from the tenth had three bogeys against one birdie on the stretch. He then had a double bogey on the Par-3 second and was 3-over at that stage. He fought back with four birdies in four holes from the fifth but dropped a shot on the ninth, his closing hole for a 74.

Leaders, Watson and Pavit, were one ahead of Korea’s Younghan Song (69) who was 10-under. IANS

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