St. Andrews, Fairmont, July 30: Aman Gupta, an Indian American of great promise shot 9-under 63 to rise up the leader board to get into the Top-10 at the halfway stage of the 2022 Hero Open. Gupta, playing in his rookie season in Europe, shot 69 in the first round and now with 63 he is 12-under and lying Tied-8th.
Gupta had 10 birdies against one bogey and trails the leader Sean Crocker (63-66) by three shots.
Crocker maintained his narrow one-shot lead after following up Thursday’s round of 63 with a bogey-free 66 in round two on what was another low scoring day at Fairmont St Andrews. The American made the most of favourable morning conditions to fire six birdies – three on each side of the course – to get to 15 under par.
Although the course record he set in the first round was broken by both his playing partner and home favourite Ewen Ferguson and afternoon starter Wilco Nienaber of South Africa – who each produced bogey-free rounds of 61 – Crocker remains in pole position as he vies for his first DP World Tour victory.
Scotland’s Scott Jamieson is alone in second on 14 under after 36 bogey-free holes, one stroke ahead of his compatriot David Law, English pair Jonathan Thomson and Ross Fisher, Swede Jens Dantorp and Adrian Otaegui of Spain.
Five players, including new joint-course record holder Nienaber, are one shot further back on 12 under par.
Crocker said, “It’s always tough to come back out the next day after playing really well. It was a little bit calming and nice to get out there, get off to a decent start, and just keep plodding along through the golf course.”
‘Nothing crazy (has clicked on the greens this week). I enjoy the greens. Me and Stevie are working well together, we’re just getting up, picking a line, and not thinking more. Just stroking it down the hole and hoping it goes in.”
I just want to have some fun, have some laughs on the golf course, hit good golf shots and see what the total adds up to at the end of the week.”
