Mane opens three-shot lead

Over­ni­ght joint leader Udayan Mane upped the ante to seize sole lead at the halfway stage of the Tata Steel Karnataka Amateur Golf Championship here on Wednesday.

The local lad, making the most of glorious conditions, shot a fine four-under 68 to open up a three-shot lead after totaling 137 at the Eagleton Golf Resort.

Trailing him at second place is another local lad Syed Saqib Ahmed and Yash Jindal.
 While Saqib, having opened with an erratic 74, rose up the leaderboard with a brilliant 66 -- the best card of the event – Yash carded 69. A further shot behind the duo was Samarth Dwivedi after carding a sedate 70.

Udayan made a stunning start to the day’s proceedings, dipping in an eagle on the opening hole itself. He then birdied the third, bogeyed the fourth and seventh holes before hitting his stride again with a birdie on the eight.

Leading scores (after 36 holes): 137: Udayan Mane (69, 68); 140: Syed Saqib Ahmed (74, 66), Yash Jindal (71, 69); 142: Samarth Dwivedi (72, 70); 143: Jaibir Singh (71, 72), Jasjeet Singh (69, 74); 144: Gagan Verma (74, 70), Yashas Chandra (73, 71); 145: Trishul Chinnappa (71, 74), Nikhil Mohan (70, 75).