JOIN USGaganjeet Bhullar stayed as the best Indian despite a sharp fall in the second round, while Shiv Kapur shot the best round among his compatriots with a bogey free 68 at the Volvo China Open here on Friday.
Bhullar, who was in Top-10 at the end of the first day, shot even par 72 with four birdies against four bogeys and at four-under for 36 holes, he is T-22nd.
Kapur (68) made up for his first round 73 and at three-under he is now T-35 alongside Shubhankar Sharma (69-72) and Arjun Atwal (69-72). Khalin Joshi (71-71) at T-50th was the fifth Indian to make the cut.
Ajeetesh Sandhu (72-76), SSP Chawrasia (75-75) and Jeev Milkha Singh (77-77) missed the cut, which fell at one-under 143.
Meanwhile, Matt Wallace of England signed for a battling two-under-par 70 to seize a one-shot lead at the halfway stage.
The 28-year-old Wallace, who won the Hero Indian Open for a breakthrough win last month, opened his campaign with a 65, moved atop the leaderboard after closing with a brilliant birdie, thanks to his caddy’s advice to pace himself on the par-five 18th hole, at the Topwin Golf and Country Club.
Overnight leader Daxing Jin of China slipped to tied-22nd position following a disappointing 76. He is amongst the six local players, including Haotong Li and Ashun Wu, to progress into the weekend rounds in their National Open.
Gangjee makes cut
Rahil Gangjee made the halfway cut at the Japan Golf Tour's Crowns Tournament in Nagoya despite a round of three-over 73 on Friday.
At two-over 142 for 36 holes, Gangjee is now T-57th and made the cut on the line.
Gangjee, who won the Panasonic Open Japan for his first win in 14 years on Asian Tour and first-ever win on Japan Tour, had three bogeys in first six holes and turned in four-over 39 that included a double on par-4 eighth.
On the back nine, he birdied 10th and 17th, but gave away another shot on 18th.
Japan’s 25-year-old Shugo Imahira led a pair of Australians, Brendan Jones (66-67) and Anthony Quayle (65-68) and fellow Japanese Shota Aikyoshi (70-63) at the Nagoya Golf Club’s Wago Course.