Indian Open: Nakajima shoots 66 with 9 birdies, in joint lead with Chacarra

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Gurugram: Japan’s Keita Nakajima had made it a victory procession final 12 months, wrapped up by 4 photographs and a 17-under par mixture on an unforgiving DLF Golf and Nation Membership course. Nonetheless solely 24, and having regained high type after a again problem final 12 months with tied-second on the Singapore Basic final week, the defending champion had opened with a two-over rating on Thursday.

Keita Nakajima. (Getty Pictures)

Early summer time warmth, heavy breeze, laborious, wavy greens confounded by tough pin spots – the litany of woes continued for a lot of the area within the second spherical of the $2.25 million Hero Indian Open DP World Tour Asia Swing on Friday.

Apart from Nakajima, whose golf was luminous at a special degree. He scorched the course with a six-under 66 spherical that noticed a shocking seven birdies on the entrance 9, 5 in a bunch. Chic together with his method photographs and placing, solely three bogeys for 2 extra birdies on the again 9 stored him inside touching distance from the remainder of the sector.

The Japanese bogeyed the 18th gap that dropped him to 4-under for the match, and degree with Spain’s 25-year-old Eugenio Chicarra, who was giving his post-round media feedback close by after a second 2-under 70 spherical.

5 gamers had been tied third at 2-under, together with the seasoned Thai Kiradech Aphibarnrat. Andrea Pavan of Italy had the perfect spherical amongst them after he shot a 69.

“This is a tough course, but fun. Me and my caddie were talking about playing it like a fun course. Just keep patient, and keep smiling. That was good,” mentioned Nakajima, who had always switched the lead with Chacarra – each touching 6-under – earlier than the course barely reined them in.

Chacarra’s was a extra gritty spherical regardless of 4 birdies in his first six holes after staring on the again 9. A double bogey on the powerful seventeenth, his eighth gap after beginning on the tenth, was adopted by two extra birdies just for back-to-back bogeys and a few good par saves preserving him atop the leaderboard.

The Spaniard, an enormous expertise who didn’t chase a card on the PGA Tour or DP World Tour however joined LIV Golf, solely to lose his contract final 12 months, has taken the Asian Tour path to chasing success. An image of consistency this 12 months – he was T5 right here within the Worldwide Collection India occasion in January-February. Staying affected person is his mantra: “We were just hitting wedges and they were skipping sometimes six, seven steps. It was tough out there…”

Twelve Indians made the reduce, Gaganjeet Bhullar the perfect at T20. He’s one-over par after a 73. Shubhankar Sharma (75+74) was briefly on the reduce line – reduce was at 6-over – however made it. He’s T52 at five-over after birdie on the 18th gap.