Kapur shoots to tied seventh

Shiv Kapur put behind an average first round and dazzled with a six-under 65 in the second to leapfrog to tied seventh at the midway stage in the 10m yen Asia Japan Okinawa Open on Friday.

The bogey on the 13th hole was the only blemish for Kapur.

All six Indian golfers made the cut in the tournament, which is the opening leg of the 2006 season for the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour at the par-71 Naha Golf Club.

Overnight leader and local sensation Kaname Yokoo (135) carded one-under 70 and was joined by Kiyoshi Miyazato and Yasuharu Imano at the top of the leaderboard.

Winner of the Volvo Masters of Asia this weekend, Kapur, continuing his good form, began with successive birdies over the first two holes and two more in the next four to comlpete his bogey-free front nine.

On his way back, Kapur reeled off back-to-back birdies on 10th and 11th but was unlucky on 13th where he dropped a bogey but made up for the loss with a birdie on the last hole to complete a highly satisfying round.

Jeev Milkha Singh also had a better outing on Friday after his level-par first round. The Indian began with a birdie and had a hat-trick of them starting on the fifth before firing two more while the bogeys came in the ninth and 11th holes. After rounds of 71 and 67, the Indian is placed tied 11th.

Gaurav Ghei carded one-under 70 to total 139 for the tied 14th place, one stroke ahead of compatriot Amandeep Johl who returned a level-par card to share the 23rd position with seven others.

Kolkata's Rahil Gangjee (142) had his second successive level-par round which earned him the tied 37th place.

Arjun Singh mended his way today and after a horrible three-over 74 on Thursday, the Indian carded one-under 70 to just about make the cut.

Japan's woman golf sensation Ai Miyazato, playing on a sponsor's invite, struggled in the men's field and carded seven-over 78 to total 16-over 158, thus failing to make the cut.