New Delhi, June 7: Indian golfers Karan Deep Kochhar and Kartik Singh are making strong progress at the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) India Classic. After the second round at the challenging Majganj Beach and Golf Resort, they trail the joint leaders by four shots.
Kochhar carded a one-over 73 after an impressive opening round of 66, placing him fifth with a total of five under par. The Chandigarh golfer has finished in the top five on the Asian Tour six times, including twice this season, and is now in pursuit of a significant victory on the circuit.
Teenager Kartik Singh also performed well, scoring 69 in the second round after an initial score of 70, securing fifth place.
Leading the leaderboard are Thailand’s Setthiprakong Wech and Runchanapong Yuprayon, both at nine under par. Wech improved from an opening 70 to a bogey-free seven-under 65, while overnight leader Runchanapong followed his first-round 65 with a 70.
Austria’s Niklas Regner (66-72) and Thailand’s Ekapharit Wu (71-67) are tied for third at six under.
Alongside Kochhar and Singh at five under are the Philippines’ Lloyd Jefferson Go, American MJ Maguire, Sweden’s Charlie Lind, South Africa’s Ian Snyman, and New Zealand’s Nick Voke.
Kochhar began his round on the 10th hole and was one under through 12 holes. A late birdie helped him stay near the top of the leaderboard despite challenging conditions.
Kochhar remarked, “I was a bit unlucky on the last hole. I made a short four-foot putt that I thought was good, but it went the other way. I didn’t want to finish with a three-putt, but overall, I feel I played well. I might have missed two short putts earlier, which I would like to have back, but I’m not too bothered. My putting has been solid as I worked hard on it over the weekend.”
Among other Indian players, amateurs Jai Behl (71-72) and Yashas Chandra (75-68) are tied at one under. Shaurya Bhattacharya (70-74) and Raghav Chugh (70-74) are tied for 40th at even par.
Veterans Gaganjeet Bhullar (75-70), Pukhraj Singh Gill (74-71), and Rashid Khan (74-71) are tied for 49th, while Udayan Mane (70-76), Sachin Baisoya (72-74), and Aman Raj (72-74) are tied for 61st.
Wech, who arrived in Morocco after missing five consecutive cuts, regained his form with a brilliant round of 65 featuring seven birdies. Meanwhile, Runchanapong managed to maintain his lead despite a double bogey-bogey stretch during his 70.
Morocco’s Ayoub, with a score of 67, tied for 12th at four under, becoming the top local player.
Notable players who missed the cut include SSP Chaurasia, Milind Soni, and M. Dharma, all by one shot, while Varun Parikh and Aryan Roopa Anand missed by two strokes. The India Classic is part of a three-week Asian Tour in Morocco.
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