Atwal, Randhawa in hot pursuit of leader Casas

Atwal, Randhawa in hot pursuit of leader Casas
V KRISHNASWAMY

NEW DELHI, MARCH 17: The winning feeling. That's what Felix Casas misses but now that he has been knocking at the door for some time, he says he is ready for it. Carding a course record-setting 65 -- which was again equalled later in the day by little-known Taiwanese Lin Fu-Chin -- Casas was sitting pretty, three strokes adrift of the three-man second-placed bunch midway through the Wills Indian Open.

On an open course like this a three-stroke lead with two more days to go may hardly be something one can afford to sit comfortably on. Casas knows that, more so because the three-man pack behind him at 10-under 134 comprises Arjun Atwal, Jyoti Randhawa and South African Nico Van Rensburg, all of whom have tasted blood on the Tour before. In fact, Rensburg's triumph at the Volvo Masters in Kuala Lumpur last year won him a condominium, which he uses as his base while playing in Asia. Rensburg, a close friend of Ernie Els, is a real big hitter, and could be the man to watch out on the final days as he goes flat out.

Another stroke behind Atwal, Randhawa and Rensburg are Mike Cunning and Lin Fu-Chin. Cunning, is a `nearly' man who despite topping the Order of Merit in 1998 has never won on the APGA. Cunning is now placed at nine-under 135 after 68 and 67 on the two days. He shares the fifth place with 30-year-old Lin Fu-Chin, who had a 65 today after his first day 70.

Randhawa was still shrugging his head after a four-under card for the day that put him at 10-under for the day. But at one point, he looked like finishing far worse than he did. He had six birdies, four of them on the second nine for him -- he started on the tenth tee. After birdies on the tenth and 15th, he was two under at the turn. But then began a roller coaster. He bogeyed the second, birdied the third and again bogeyed the fifth. He was back to birdies on the fifth and seventh and then agonised as he missed a two and a half foot putt for another birdie. But he let out his anger on the tee shot on the ninth and the ball travelled to an awesome 350 yards. He was on the green in two and duly birdied.

Atwal had a scare or two, but he handled himself extremely well, more so in the dodgy situations like the 12th hole. From the tee he went into the fairway bunker and from there landed on the greenside bunker. He did not come out too well, but still managed to hole the 12-footer and a save a good par.

Later in the day, Atwal, saved another good par on the sixth, where he holed from 12 feet. But for the rest of the day, he played steady. He finished with four birdies -- on the 13th, 14th, first and fifth and in between on the par five third had a great eagle. Using the driver off the tee, he followed that up with the three iron and hit the hump on the top of the green. The ball rolled back and came within four feet, from where he duly holed it.

However, Atwal later added that he did not play upto expectations on the last four holes, especially the sixth, seventh and eighth, where he went over the pin and the green. He managed pars.

Rensburg had three birdies each on the front and back nine and came home in 66, which places him well for a shot at glory on Sunday.

Realising that the cut would go really low -- it went at one-under, the lowest on the Tour this year and one of the lowest ever in its history -- most players were wary as the day began. But Stephen Lindskog of Sweden, discovered that he had one club more than the stipulated 14. He realised his error on the second hole and for that he was penalised four strokes. Yet Lindskog made the cut as he came back in 75 and was placed one under for two days. But two former champions had the mortification of missing the cut. Ali Sher, twice Indian Open champion in 1991 and 1993, who said his putts just didn't drop, was one over for the day and four over for two days and tumbled out of the tournament.

Firoze Ali, winner in 1998, had a par round -- in fact he parred every hole -- and the same as first round, but still missed the cut for the second year in a row. In fact, Firoze has not made the cut since he won the title in 1998.

Ashok Kumar and Rahil Gangjee, teammates in the National side which won the SAARC Cup last month were the only amateurs to make the pro cut. Ashok, whom Jeev Milkha Singh sought out to congratulate, had a two under 70 for the day and is now five under for two days and shared the 21st spot with 11 others,including Gaurav Ghei (70, 69) and 1995 winner Jim Rutledge.

First day joint leader Simon Dyson came in with a 74 and is now lying at four-under 140 as does James Kingston of South Africa.

Leading scores (after 2nd round): 131 - Felix Casas (Phi) 66, 65. 134 - Arjun Atwal (Ind) 68, 66; Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 66, 68; Nico Van Rensburg (SAF) 68, 66. 135 - Mike Cunning (US) 68, 67; Lu Fu-Chin (Twn) 70, 65. 136 - Hendrik Buhrmann (SAF) 70, 66; Yusuf Ali (Ind) 70, 66. 137 - Chung Joon (Kor) 67, 70; Trevor Immelman (SAF) 70, 67; Brad Wilson (US) 67, 70. 138 - Vivek Bhandari (Ind) 70, 68; Justin Hobday (SAF) 69, 69; Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) 68, 70; Soushi Tajima (Jpn) 70, 68; Yeh Wei Tze (Twn) 70, 68; Robert Huxtable (US) 67, 71; Adrian Percey (Aust) 68, 70; Andre Cruse (SAF) 69, 69; Gary Rusnak (US) 68, 70. 139 - Gaurav Ghei (Ind) 70, 69; Craig Kamps (SAF) 69, 70; Richard Kaplan (SAF) 68, 71; Danny Zarate (Phi) 68, 71; Jim Rutledge (Can) 68, 71; Nam Young Woo (Kor) 69, 70; Chris Williams (SAF) 70, 69; Ted Oh (Kor) 69, 70; Gilberto Morales (Ven) 68, 71; Sammy Daniels (68, 71); Desvond Botes (SAF) 73, 66; Ashok Kumar (A) (Ind) 69, 70.