Mane shoots 65 to take lead, Joshi lies second

The 20-year-old Mane, runner-up in 2010 Maharashtra Open Amateur, thus took his total to 141 (76-65), which was two shots ahead of defending champion and another local golfer, Khalin Joshi (143 (72-71). In the third spot was Jamshedpur's Karan Taunk 144 ((73-71).

Bangalore's reigning All India Amateur champion, Seenappa Chikkarangappa, roared back into form with a two-under 69, the second best card of the day, to get back into contention at 145 (76-69). Chikka was tied for fourth with Delhi golfer Honey Baisoya 145 (71, 74).

Overnight leader K Raghav Bhandari slipped to tied sixth with a 78 in second round after his first round 68. A total of 43 out of 78 players made the cut at 14-over.

Mane started the day with a birdie on first and added further birdies on seventh, ninth, 10th, 12th, 14th and 18th. His sole bogey of the day came on the 13th.

A semi-finalist at the All India Amateur championships at the start of the year, Mane, said, "I have started taking my game seriously only in the last year or so when I met my coach, Vijay Divecha. Now I start my day with yoga and then straightaway head to the Touché Golf Academy to exercise and then practice with Anirban Lahiri (whenever he is in Bangalore) and Abhishek Jha."

Chikka roared back into form with 69 that included an eagle on the par-5 seventh.
"I realised yesterday that I am not hitting many regulations and that's what I started today after 4th hole. I just need a good start in the next two days and I am surely going to stick to my game," he said.

Chikka bogeyed the first and the third, but soon recovered with birdies on fifth and an eagle on seventh to turn in one-under 34. He birdied the 14th and the 17th, but dropped a shot on 15th to again come back in one-under for the back nine and a card of two-under 69.

Baisoya, one of the most promising youngsters on the amateur circuit, played steady golf, even though he had no birdies. He suffered a lapse in the middle of the round with bogeys on eighth, tenth and 12th, but parred the rest during his round.