Veer Ahlawat Moves Within Striking Distance at Hero Indian Open
Veer Ahlawat, renowned for his prodigious hitting prowess, surged within striking distance of the lead on the second day of the prestigious Hero Indian Open at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram. The tournament witnessed a remarkable course record of 10-under 62 by Norway’s Espen Kofstad, eclipsing the previous best of 64 set by Shubhankar Sharma in 2018 and Arjun Puri in 2022.
Ahlawat, starting from the 10th hole, displayed consistent play with pars on the first seven holes. He then unleashed a flurry of three consecutive birdies before a momentary lapse on the second hole. However, he responded with an impressive ‘eagle’ on the fourth hole, leaving him just 10 feet from the pin. Two more birdies followed, improving his score from a first-day 69 to a commendable 66.
Meanwhile, Japanese golfer Keita Nakajima maintained his overnight lead with a successive seven-under 65, giving him a two-round tally of 130. He held a two-shot advantage over Frenchman Romain Langasque and a three-stroke lead over Italian Matteo Manassero.
Nakajima’s exceptional putting earned him five birdies in a row on the front nine, propelling him to a commanding position. He added two more birdies after the turn, moving to -14 with seven holes remaining. However, a series of three bogeys on the 15th, 16th, and 17th holes threatened to derail his momentum.
Undeterred, Nakajima produced a stunning drive and a well-calculated shot from the fairway on the testing 17th hole, securing a birdie to restore his confidence. On the final hole, he drained an ‘eagle-putt’ from about 20 feet to finish at an impressive -14.
Other notable Indian performances included Karandeep Kochhar (138), Manu Gandas (138), Gaganjeet Bhullar (139), Rashid Khan (139), and Jairaj Singh Sandhu (142).