PGTI Tour: Jamal Hossain Takes Two-shot Lead As Coal India Open Reduced To 54 Holes

PGTI Tour: Jamal Hossain takes two-shot lead as Coal India Open reduced to 54 holes (Image Source: IANS)

Current DP World PGTI Rankings: Jamal Hossain carded a seven-under 63 to take a two-shot lead following the completion of the rain-delayed second round of the Coal India Open at Tollygunge Club in Kolkata on Thursday.

The 41-year-old Bangladeshi golfer (65-63), a six-time winner on the DP World PGTI, moved to 12-under 128 after an eventful round featuring seven birdies, an eagle and two bogeys.

Hossain began his second round three shots behind first-round leader Om Prakash Chouhan and was tied fifth when heavy rain forced the suspension of play on Wednesday. He returned on Thursday to complete his remaining holes when he moved clear of the field.

The tournament has been reduced to 54 holes following the weather disruptions. The third and final round will be played on Friday with a shotgun start. Delhi’s Kshitij Naveed Kaul (64-66), who held the clubhouse lead overnight, moved to second place at 10-under 130.

Chandigarh’s Akshay Sharma (66-65) and Ajeetesh Sandhu (63-68) shared third place at nine-under 131. Former Asian Tour winner Sandhu endured multiple weather interruptions before completing a two-under 68 on Thursday.

Current DP World PGTI Rankings leader Saptak Talwar (67-65), first-round leader and 2023 rankings champion Om Prakash Chouhan (62-70), and University of South Florida graduate Shubham Jaglan (67-65) shared fifth place at eight-under 132.

Two chip-ins, on the eighth and par-five 13th, were among the highlights of Hossain’s round. His chip-in on the 13th resulted in an eagle and helped him take control of the tournament. “I chipped in twice, on the eighth and 13th, so I’m very happy with the round,” Hossain said. “The course was soft, and the ball was not travelling as much after landing, which made hitting fairways very important.”

Hossain credited his driving for helping him handle the wet conditions. He estimated that he missed only two or three fairways during the round. “I drove the ball really well and found most of the fairways. That made a big difference in these conditions,” he said.

His most fortunate moment came on the par-three 18th. Hossain’s five-iron tee shot headed right and struck the out-of-bounds boundary before rebounding into the course. He took advantage of the reprieve by getting up and down for par. “I was lucky on the 18th because the ball came back into play after hitting the boundary,” he said. “I managed to save par, and that changed the momentum of my round. I played very well after that.”

Hossain, currently 12th in the PGTI Rankings, has previously won at Tollygunge Club and feels particularly comfortable at the Kolkata venue. “Whenever I play at Tollygunge Club, it feels like my home course,” he said. “It is one of my favourite courses, and I always seem to play good golf here. I’ll go out tomorrow and try to do my best.”

His most fortunate moment came on the par-three 18th. Hossain’s five-iron tee shot headed right and struck the out-of-bounds boundary before rebounding into the course. He took advantage of the reprieve by getting up and down for par. “I was lucky on the 18th because the ball came back into play after hitting the boundary,” he said. “I managed to save par, and that changed the momentum of my round. I played very well after that.”

Divyanshu Bajaj was the highest-placed among the Kolkata-based players as he occupied tied 19 th place at three-under 137. The cut fell at one-over 141, with 57 professionals from the field of 132 advancing to the final round.

Article Source: IANS