Hossain seizes halfway lead in golf

Chandigarh, April 13

Bangladesh’s Jamal Hossain seized the halfway lead after returning the second day’s best score of 5-under 67 at the Rs 1 crore PGTI Players Championship, organised at Chandigarh Golf Club, today. Dhaka-based Jamal’s (70-67) total read 7-under 137 and he enjoyed a two-shot lead over the quartet comprising Greater Noida’s Arjun Sharma (68), Kolkata’s Mohammad Sanju (71), Chandigarh’s Harendra Gupta (70) and American Varun Chopra (71).

The cut was declared at two-over 146 and a total of 51 professionals made the cut. The 38-year-old Hossain, lying tied 12th and two off the lead after round one, had a quiet front-nine with a birdie and a bogey each. However, Hossain’s putter began firing on the front-nine as he made a 40-feet birdie conversion on the eighth. Hossain sank long birdie putts at will on the back-nine to make a charge. The three-time winner on the PGTI drained a 35-footer, two 15-feet putts and a 10-footer for birdies. He also landed his five-iron approach within a foot of the flag, his best shot of the day in his own words, for a tap-in birdie on the 15th.

Sharma carded an error-free 68 to occupy joint second place.