Randhawa fires two over 74, emerges sole leader

Coimbatore , June 27 (UNI) Delhi's Raj Randhawa shot a two over 74 to be in sole lead with the best two-day card of five over 149 in the LG Coimbatore Amateur Golf Championship at the par-72 Coimbatore Golf Club here today.

However, ONGC's Vikram Rana cardded the day's best score of level par 72 to share the second place with Moin Malak at 150. Malak shot a two over for 74 today. Overnight leader Gagan Verma was fourth, at 151 after shooting a 79, while Samaresh Sardar and OIL India's Simarjeet Singh were in joint fifth place at 152. Sardar shot a 77 while Simarjeet carded a 79.

Randhawa, who teed off from the tenth hole, started badly with bogeys on the first two holes.He fired a birdie on the 13th. But another bogey on the 14th saw him slip to two over. On his return journey, Randhawa birdied the third but dropped shots on the sixth and eighth. A birdie on the ninth saw him end the day at 74.

''The conditions were great and I hit the ball really well today,'' he said later.

Vikram Rana was in fine form as he played consistent golf for his score of level par 72. Teeing off on the tenth, he shot four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey. He started with a birdie on the 11th but dropped shots on the 12th and 14th. A birdie on the 15th saw him turn at level par. On is return, Rana birdied the second, double bogeyed the eight and ended the day with a birdie on the ninth.

Scores: (After 36 holes): 149 Raj Randhawa (75, 74); 150 Vikram Rana (78, 72), Moin Malak (74, 76); 151 Gagan Verma (72, 79), 152 Samaresh Sardar (75, 77), Simarjeet Singh (73, 79) 153 Abhishek Jha (76, 77), Mithun Perera (76, 77), 155 Jaibir Singh (80, 75), Raja BR (77, 78), K Prabagaran (76, 79), 156 H S Kang (81, 75), Lakhan Singh (81, 75), L Selvadurai (81, 75), Rudresh Sharma (74, 82).

UNI