Golf: Shiv Kapur, Gaganjeet Bhullar tied 6th and 9th after second round at Singapore Open

Shiv Kapur and Gaganjeet Bhullar returned with cards of four-under 67 and one-over 72 to finish tied sixth and joint ninth respectively after the weather-hit second round of the SMBC Singapore Open here today.

Kapur, who clinched three titles last season, endured a rough finish with three bogeys on the back nine after being six-under through 11 holes in the second round here.

The 35-year-old, who had to come early in the morning to finish his final two holes, birdied the last to end the first round at 70.

Later, Kapur had an electric start from the tenth in the second round with four birdies in the first six holes.

He added a fifth birdie on 18th and then yet another on first to move to six-under for the day and 7-under for the tournament.

However, he dropped two quick bogeys on third and fifth and later another on ninth, but before that he birdied the eighth and is Tied-sixth at 5-under 137.

Bhullar after being two-under through his first nine, the front stretch of the course, suffered a double bogey and a bogey on successive holes on fourth and fifth holes to finish at one-over 72 and Tied-9th at 138.

Arjun Atwal, who had captained the Asian Team at the EurAsia Cup, started the second round with four straight birdies before bogeying sixth and ninth.

He went on a birdie spree on first, third, fourth and seventh, but a poor finish with bogeys on eighth and ninth robbed him off a better finish. He was Tied-31st at 2-under 139.

Jyoti Randhawa had played just three holes and bogeyed two of them, after 68 on first day. Khalin Joshi (72-71) is Tied-65th.

Other Indians who had not finished their second round and are in danger of missing the cut include S Chikkarangappa (2-over over three), Udayan Mane (1-under through three), Chiragh Kumar (1-over through three), SSP Chawrasia (1-over through 10), Ajeetesh Sandhu (1-over through five), Rashid Khan (2-over through 10) and Rahil Gangjee (5-over through seven) and Jeev Milkha Singh (3-over nine).

Kapur said, "Starting the day, I was even-par and I had a hole and a half to play. I birdied 18th to shoot one-under this morning. Then, I came out playing really good. Five- under-par on the back nine, I lost my way in the front, my back nine.

"It's a tough course and there is no let up here. You hit one or two bad shots and it gets you. Three-putting at the last hole left a sour taste in my mouth. Small margins here, but I played pretty well."

He further added: "I bogeyed the fifth two days in a row. I'll try to figure out how to play that hole a bit better. I haven't birdied four as well. I'll get my head around that stretch (fourth, fifth and sixth) of holes.

"I seemed to have a good game plan for the back nine. I'm hitting more three-woods there. That's working well and I'm not going to change that."
Weather disrupted the second round as play was abandoned at 4.42pm local time due to lightning threats.

As many as 78 players will resume their rounds at 7.40am local time on Saturday, with round three starting no later than 12.50pm.

Chapchai, who holds the Asian Tour record for the lowest 72-hole score of 32-under-par 256 at the 2009 SAIL Open, shot seven birdies to lead by one shot over Tirawat Kaewsiribandit of Thailand and Shaun Norris of South Africa.

Norris is experiencing a happy homecoming so far after spending a year away from the Asian Tour by carding a 67 on Friday.