Ranjit Singh leads ONGC-NCG Open

Ranjit Singh blasted his second successive score of three-under 69 to lead the field at six-under 138 after the second round of the Rs 700,000 GAIL co-sponsored, ONGC-NGC Open Championship 2000, the tenth leg of the 2000-2001 season of the Wills Sport Golf Tour, being played on at the par-72, 6,978-yard Noida golf course.

Mukesh Kumar and Akbar Ali were placed joint-second two-strokes behind the leader at four-under 140. Shiv Prakash and Vijay Kumar occupied the joint-fourth spot at three-under 141. Gast Ram, at two-under 142, was placed sixth. G S Sethi carded the day’s best score of four-under 68.

The cut was applied at 11-over 155 with 50 pros and 7 amateurs making it to the final two rounds.

Ranjit Singh played exemplary golf on Friday. The Chandigarh based golfer, a 10th tee starter, warmed up with two pared holes before carding his first birdie of the day on the 12th. Bogeys followed on the 13th and 16th, after his ball got embedded on both occasions on the slope of the bunker.

However, back-to-back birdies on the 17th and 18th placed him at one-under at the half-way stage. After making the turn, Ranjit birdied the 5th, dropped his third shot of the day on the following hole and finished his back-nine as he did, his front-nine, with consecutive birdies on the 8th and 9th.

"I hit the ball really well today,” said the golfer whose day's round included 14 regulations and 24 putts. "There will definitely be some pressure on me tomorrow but I am determined to card my first career win this week," said Ranjit.

Mukesh Kumar continued his love affair with the Noida Golf Course returning his second successive score of two-under 70. The Mhow-based golfer started the day in style, chipping in from 20 feet for birdie on the 1st. A dropped shot on the 5th, courtesy his failing to make a 6-feet par putt, tainted the equation a bit but a birdie on the 8th saw him enter his back-nine at a score of one-under. On his return journey, a birdie on the 14th was followed by a pared hole, before Mukesh made his second error of the day on the 16th, where he shot his approach shot to 10 feet over the pin and failed to make the return par putt.

On the 17th, last season's 'Player of the Year' award winner's well placed approach shot left him with a 15-feet eagle putt. Mukesh birdied the hole. "I hit the ball really well and should have finished with five or six under but for a few careless errors," said Mukesh.

Akbar Ali continued his good run improving on his opening round score of one-under by to-strokes. The Calcuttan's three-under 69 included a birdie-birdie start to his round and was followed by another set of back-to-back birdies on the 7th and 8th. The only blemish on Akbar's card occurred on the 15th, after he missed a 1 ½ feet par putt.

"The course is playing really well this week. As for my own game, my short game let me down, with my hitting doing all the work for me," said the golfer who carded 15 regulations on Friday.

Shiv Prakash played well but a stroke of bad luck saw him return with a one-under 71 card. The current leader of the ‘Order of Merit’ after playing his front-nine to one-under with a bogey on the 5th and birdies on the 4th and 8th, carded a double bogey on the 10th, the first hole of his back-nine.

The 41-year old Kanpur based golfer made amends with birdie on the 14th and 18th but the double-bogey continued to leave a bad taste in the mouth.

"It was just a stroke of bad luck, without which I would surely have been in the joint-lead today," said Shiv Prakash.

Vijay Kumar, despite his poor putting form birdied the 17th on his front-nine with a birdie on the 1st and bogey on the 5th highlighting his return journey card.

"I hit as many as 15 regulations today, but the putts just refused to fall," said the leading prize money winner on the Wills Sport Golf Tour for the past three seasons.

Simarjeet continues to lead amateur field: Overnight leader Simarjeet Singh continued lead the amateur field with a two-day tally of one-under 143. Anitya Chand was placed second at six-over 150.

SCORES: 138_Ranjit Singh(69,69); 140_Mukesh Kumar(70,70), Akbar Ali(71,69); 141_Shiv Prakash(70,71), Vijay Kumar(70,71); 142_Gast Ram(70,72); 143_Rohtas Singh(73,70), Ali Sher(71,72); 144_GS Sethi(76,68), Pappan(72,72), Vinod Kumar (D)(72,72); 145_S Madiah(73,72), Yusuf Ali(73,72), Vishal Singh(69,76) Amateurs: 143__Simarjeet Singh(71,72); 150_Anitya Chand(74,76)