JOIN USShiv Kapur and SSP Chowrasia continue to be the top Indians at five-under to be at tied ninth, but neither got to start their second round as rain again played spoilsport at the USD 2 million Iskandar Johor Open here today.
Only three players could complete the second round, and the man who stood out on a confusing leaderboard today was the mercurial Spaniard Sergio Garcia.
Garcia, four-under in first round, was five-under with no bogeys in 12 holes in second round to jointly lead the event at nine-under with six more holes to play.
Lam Chih Bing at five-under for 36 holes was one of the only three players
to complete two rounds. He was the clubhouse leader with rounds of 71 and 68, but overall he was still four behind David Lipsky who had not even started the second round after completing his first in 63 this morning.
Kapur, playing with David Lipsky, birdied both his remaining holes in the morning at the Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club.
"That was a nice way to finish and I knew there would be little chance of my getting in more play if there was even a short stoppage during the day," said Kapur.
With two more stoppages, he had a virtual off-day while Chowrasia and Chiragh, the highest and lowest placed Indians after first round, didn't get to swing a club even once today.
Daniel Chopra, who had a 68 in first round, also had a complete off-day.
Meanwhile, Himmat Rai, who had played five holes yesterday, struggled to a four-over 76 this morning.
However by the time he had played 16 holes in second round, he was in with a chance of making the cut having moved back to even par with two to play. The cut looks likely one-under or even par.
Digvijay Singh (68) and Jyoti Randhawa (69) were unable to add any more birdies as they completed their first round in the morning. But the two had not started the second round and neither had Chiragh Kumar, whose 77 on first day, will make it tough for him to make the cut.
The two busiest Indians today were Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar. Lahiri had parred the first hole yesterday, and Bhullar was one-over after two holes when play stopped yesterday.
Today they completed their first rounds in 70 and 71, respectively. In less
than an hour they were back to play the second round.
Lahiri had moved to four-under with nine second round holes to play, while Bhullar was at three-under with seven second round holes to go.
First day leader, Lipsky, who was eight-under after 16 holes, added one more birdie on eighth, his 17th hole, and ended the round at nine-under, two ahead of Unho Park (65) and three clear of Kevin Na, Baek Seuk-hyun and Thongchai Jaidee.
Baek was two-under through five yesterday and Thongchai was even par after three.
Lipsky did not get to start his second round, but was still in share of the lead with Garcia.
Thongchai, even after three on first day, zoomed up the leaderboard with a stunning five-under 31 on back nine despite a bogey on 17th. In the second round he rose to eight-under after nine holes but bogeys on first and third put him back to seven-under, where he stayed with five more to play.
Ernie Els shot 69 in first round and was then one-under through 11 in second to be overall four-under.