Silvis, Illinois, US, July 2: Anirban Lahiri turned in a solid second round which ended with a painful bogey on his last hole, but still produced a card of 4-under 67 in the US$7.1 million John Deere Classic. The 35-year-old Lahiri, who started birdie-birdie from the 10th was on a good run and turned in 2-under and added birdies on first, third and fifth at which point he was 5-under for the day and 7-under for the event.
Another birdie or more could have brought him close to Top-10, but instead a bogey on ninth, his closing hole dropped him to 6-under and with the rest of the field also finishing later, he was T-24 at the end of the second day, eight places better than the first day.
Lahiri is now nine shots behind the leader, J.T.Poston (62-65) who is 15-under and four ahead of second placed Denny McCarthy (66-65) at 11-under.
The top Asian star was Chinese Taipei’s C.T. Pan who powered into tied seventh place at the halfway stage as he seeks to challenge for a second career PGA TOUR victory. The 30-year-old Pan fired a flawless 7-under 64 to match for a two-day total of 9-under 133 and T-7.
Coming off a T2 at last week’s Travelers Championship, the highest ranked player in the field, Sahith Theegala (No. 37 FedExCup), followed a 3-over 74 in round one with a 65 for a nine-stroke improvement
Notable players to miss the cut were defending champion Lucas Glover, Cameron Champ, Webb Simpson and Brandt Snedeker.
The top three players not otherwise exempt in the top 10 and ties will qualify for the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews
Lahiri hit 10 of 18 greens in regulation during his second round. He began well with a drive to the left side of the fairway on the par-5 10th and hit his 73 yard approach to 11 feet for birdie. On the next, the 432-yard par-4 11th hole, Lahiri had a 145 yard approach shot, setting himself up for the birdie from inside six feet to move to 2-under.
On the 215-yard par-3 12th green, Lahiri suffered from a tough three-putt after missing a putt from 6-feet for a par. He made up on 14th. After a 316 yard drive on the 361-yard par-4 14th, Lahiri chipped his second shot to 5 feet, which he rolled in for a one-putt birdie on the hole to get back 2-under.
He again gave away a shot on Par-5 569-yard 17th. He got to the green in four and two-putted from 32 feet for a bogey.
He holed a 15-foot putt for birdie on first and then again hit a great approach to six feet on third for yet another birdie. That was followed by another fine approach and a birdie from inside five feet. But on the 503-yard par-4 ninth, Lahiri had a bogey after hitting the green in 3 and two putting to finish 4-under for the round.
