Date:28/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/28/stories/2008082857302000.htm

Sport - Golf

Five-stroke lead for Rashid

NEW DELHI: Rashid Khan fired a three-under 69 to open up a five-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the LG Northern India Open golf championship at the Delhi Golf Club course here on Wednesday.

A second successive sub-par card gave Rashid a tally of 139 that kept him clear of nearest challenger Gagan Verma who followed his first-round 75 with a 69.

Verma was a stroke ahead of Moin Malik, who shot a 71 on the day.

Rashid started from the 10th tee and birdied the 14th but dropped a shot on the 18th.

After the turn, Rashid birdied the first, fourth, seventh and eighth holes against the lone bogey on the fifth.

Gagan, on the other hand, birdied the first, third and eighth holes before taking the turn with a bogey.

On the back nine, Gagan picked up two shots on the first three holes and was four-under for the day on the 18th green but signed off with bogey.

The scores: Rashid Khan (70, 69) 139; Gagan Verma (75, 69) 144; Moin Malak (74, 71) 145.

Abhinav Lohan (77, 71), Kanishk Madan (74, 74), Saurabh Bahuguna (71, 77) 148.

Pawan Kumar Sr. (79, 70), H. S. Kang (76, 73), Sidharth Seth (72, 77) 149; Jasjeet Singh (75, 75) 150; Rahul Bajaj (73, 78) 151.

Wasim Khan (79, 73), B.R. Raja (76, 76) 152; Tarun Ghogale (81, 72), Samresh Sardar (77, 76), Navtez Singh (81, 73) 153.

Amit Kumar (78, 76) 154; Lakhan Singh (81, 75), Abhishek Jha (80, 76), Sidharth Sharma (77, 79) and Divij Talwar (76, 80) 156. — Special Correspondent.