Arjun Singh surges ahead
with 5-under 66

Taking full advantage of the benign morning conditions on a tough course, defending champion Arjun Singh put together a brilliant bogey-free round of five-under 66 to open a three-stroke lead over the field at the halfway stage of the Rs 2.5 million Honda-Siel PGA Championship, at the par-71 DLF Golf and Country Club in Delhi, on Friday.

In the biggest event on the Hero Honda Indian Golf Tour, Arjun looked set to become the first repeat champion and was at seven-under 135 after two rounds.

Overnight leader Gaurav Ghei, Kolkata's Yusuf Ali and Abraham "Wallie" J Coatsee of South Africa were tied for the second place at four-under 138.

Ghei added a one-under to his three-under on first day, while Wallie matched Arjun's effort of five-under 66. Yusuf added a 68 to his first-round 70.

The halfway cut was applied at nine-over 151. As many as 53 pros and four amateurs made it to the weekend rounds.

It would suffice to say that Arjun played like a champion. The 33-year-old Delhi pro was unbelievably consistent and even though he missed five out of the 14 possible fairways with his tee shot, he more than made up with some incredible iron play.

In fact, Arjun missed only one Green in Regulation (on 12th hole), and that telling stat sums up Arjun's round.

Arjun started from the 10th tee and after nailing his 6-iron tee shot to two feet on the 11th for a birdie, it was par all the way for him till he reached the third hole (his 12th). Thereafter, Arjun birdied the third, fourth, sixth and ninth to finish the day at five-under 66. The birdie on fourth resulting from a brilliant 20-footer downhill putt.

"The key to today's round was being patient. I was hitting the ball well but there was only one birdie to show in the first 11 holes. The greens here at DLF are difficult to read, and I knew that I had to be patient. Suddenly, it started happening for me in the last seven holes," said Arjun, who was out of the game for almost two years in 1999 and 2000, but came back stronger than ever before.

"I think those frustrating months of injury taught me to be patient. Post injury, I am not getting too anxious on the course and that has helped tremendously," he added.

Wallie also started the day from the 10th tee, and had a story almost similar to Arjun's. After his front nine yielded only one birdie (on the par-4 12th), the Proteas putter became hot on the inward journey, as he required only 10 putts to complete his back nine. Wallie, a regular on the South African Sunshine Tour and who finished 10th in this championship last season, birdied the first, second, sixth and ninth holes.

"The equation is simple. I am going to shoot a 65 tomorrow and a 68 on the final day and win this championship by three strokes," said the big South African as he tried to gaze into the crystal ball. "Seriously, I am playing well and I know I can win the title," he added.

Ghei continued to be erratic with his hitting and called himself "lucky" after submitting a card of one-under 70.

"My hitting was very inconsistent and I scrambled all over the place. I just managed to hold myself together on the back nine," said the India Cements-sponsored Ghei, who was two-over at the turn with bogies on the 12th and 18th holes, but birdies on the third, sixth and ninth helped him to tied second place.

Yusuf, a 10th tee starter, was two-over at the turn and struggling with his game. However, the diminutive pro caught fire on the back nine and made five birdies to finish at three-under 68.

SCORES (after 36 holes): 135 _ Arjun Singh (69,66); 138 _ Wallie Coatsee (72,66), Yusuf Ali (70,68), Gaurav Ghei (68,70); 139 _ Ashok Kumar (70,69); 140 _ Harmeet Kahlon (71,69), Rafique Ali (70,70), Vijay Kumar (69,71); 141 _ Feroz Ali (71,70), Uttam Singh Mundy (69,72); 142 _ Mukesh Kumar (72,70); 143 _ Jaiveer Virk (71,72), Steve Kent (72,71), Mohammed Islam (71,72).

Amateurs: 145 _ Manav Jaini (73,72); 149 _ Karanjit Singh (74,75)

Yesterday's report
Ghei leads with a three-under 68