Spain’s Angel Hidalgo, Poland’s Adrian Meronk and Joost Luiton of the Netherlands shared the clubhouse lead at eight-under par on a frenetic second day of the $4 million DP World India Championship at the Delhi Golf Club course on Friday.
After a five-hour rain delay on Thursday threw the schedule off course, Day 2 ended with several players yet to finish their second round. Six-time Major winner Rory McIlroy (4-under) and defending champion Tommy Fleetwood (4-under), playing together, had completed four holes when play halted around 6 pm.
The cutline is currently at par, and former Masters champion and Road to Dubai Rankings leader Patrick Reed would hope it stays that way. The American shot 3-under par 69 but will hope he somehow makes the weekend and ensures he does not lose momentum heading into the final three events on the DP World Tour.
His hot pursuer Eugenio Chacarra, however, resumed from where he left off on Thursday. Starting late in the afternoon like McIlroy and Fleetwood due to the schedule logjam, the Spaniard, who shot 5-under 67 overnight, was two-under after five holes. He was 7-under for the tournament and one shot off the clubhouse lead.
US PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai, who began his first round with an eagle and finished it on Friday at 3-under 69, went three-over in the second round. Rai, who had a substantial number of fans cheering him on, is 1-under overall and is likely to make the cut.
Anirban Lahiri is also on 1-under (70, 73) while Om Prakash Chouhan heads the thin list of Indians who are in the reckoning to make the cut. Chouhan, who shot 68 in the first round, was par after two holes.
Daniel Hillier of New Zealand shot the best round of the day, a superb 8-under 64. It lifted him to 6-under for the tournament. Fellow New Zealander and British Open champion Ryan Fox, however, looks set to miss the cut. He shot 2-under 70 on Friday, but the damage was done in his opening 4-over par round.
PGTI Order of Merit leader Sartak Talwar was one-under for the tournament. After his first round 71, he was playing at par after seven holes in the second.
South Africa’s Adrian Meronk, who started his first round late on Thursday with four birdies in the first five holes was delighted to be in the position he is in. The 33-year-old said: “Very solid, (but) a very long day. I’m just glad it’s over, to be honest. I’m knackered.”
A sentiment many in the field would agree with after weather wreaked havoc with the playing schedule the previous day.