The Hindu : Vijay Kumar vaults into lead

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 16, 2002

Sport

Sport - Golf

Vijay Kumar vaults into lead
By K. P. Mohan

NEW DELHI, MARCH 15. Vijay Kumar shot a six-under 66 to claim the sole lead at the half-way stage of the $3,00,000 Royal Challenge Indian Open golf tournament at the Delhi Golf Club course here on Friday.

With a two-round total of 136, Vijay Kumar has just one stroke to spare from the early clubhouse leader, American Andrew Pitts, and two from Australian Dean Alaban and Thai Thammanoon Sriroj. But at the end of a hot, windy day, the 34- year-old Lucknow pro sounded as though he was ready to face any kind of challenge over the next two days.

These are early days yet and, with more than a dozen players within five strokes of the leader, things could go anyone's way as the momentum picks up on Saturday.

The winds seemed to have affected almost everyone, barring Vijay Kumar, through the course of the second day as the overnight leaders, Mardan Mamat of Singapore and Pablo del Olmo of Mexico slipped down the standings. Mamat had a one-over to share the fourth place with three others at 139, while the Mexican, with a 74, was a rung lower, at 140 with three others.

Thursday's local hero, Vinod Kumar, had triple bogeys on the sixth and 15th, going into the bushes and taking `drops'. He eventually finished with a five-over that gave him a share of the ninth slot, with eight others at 144.

From among the Indian contenders, Digvijay Singh, with a hat-trick of birdies just after he took the turn at 18th, propelled himself up with a round of 69 that tied him with two others at the sixth place. Arjun Singh, one of the home favourites, slipped up a little, despite an eagle on the 18th, with a 74 that placed him joint eighth.

Harmeet Kahlon, the Hero Honda Masters winner, felt that he had played well enough in a round in which he had four birdies including a 20-footer on the 14th, but his end product was a three-over 75. Two double bogeys, one on the 13th where he landed on the right of the green, behind a tree, on a pathway, and three-putted eventually, and the 16th where he hit an eight- iron into a tree, did him in. At 145, he is a long way off from Vijay Kumar.

Vijay Kumar, who has stuffed his driver away the past two days, made all the greens in regulation this day. He had four birdies, going out, having started on the 10th, and two on the way in, including a 12-footer on the eighth where he could have been in a spot of bother after landing his second shot in between two trees.

For someone who is looking hungrier than ever before to claim a big one after having been the `King' on the home circuit for four years, no matter his lean spell this season, Vijay Kumar looks focussed as he goes into the third round. He took 31 putts on Friday when he had a bogey-free round, but still felt that he could do better with his putting.

Yet to join the regular band of pros on the Asian PGA Tour, despite being in the top bracket at home, Vijay Kumar said on Friday that he was ready to join, provided he had a sponsor or else he won this one. He is not the one who will blow it all just in the hope of making the millions. Obviously he is going to work hard in hanging onto that slender lead over the next two days. In 1995, at the Gadgil Western Masters, at the same DGC, he had stood in line for the title before Gaurav Ghei brought off that 45-foot winning chip.

Ironically, among those who failed to make the `cut' which came at three-over 147, was Ghei. His even-par round on Friday was not good enough to carry him forward as he finished with a 148. Vivek Bhandari, another `DGC boy', also failed to make it, finishing with a 75 in the second round for a 152.

Among the amateurs, Jasjeet Singh and Simarjeet Singh were tied at 145.

The scores: Vijay Kumar (Ind) (70, 66) 136; Andrew Pitts (US) (67, 70) 137; Dean Alaban (Aus) (69, 69) and Thammanoon Sriroj (Tha) (70, 68) 138; Alex Oh (Kor) (71, 68), Craig Kamps (RSA) (68, 71), Mardan Mamat (Sin) (66, 73) and Soe Kyaw Naing (Myn) (72, 67) 139; Akio Sadakata (Jpn) (68, 72), Mike Cunning (US) (71, 69), Pablo del Olmo (Mex) (66, 74) and Rick Gibson (Can) (69, 71) 140; Digvijay Singh (Ind) (72, 69), Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha) (70, 71) and Park Unho (Kor) (73, 68) 141; Gerry Norquist (US) (69, 73), Jeff Burns (US) (70, 72), Rafael Ponce (Ecu) (70, 72) and Terry Pilkadaris (Aus) (70, 72) 142.

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