JOIN USIndia's Anirban Lahiri played a solid four-under 68 that propelled him from way behind on the leaderboard to tied 46th, helping him make the cut comfortably at the Valero Texas Open.
Lahiri, who missed a huge number of short putts in windy conditions in the first round, had six birdies against two bogeys as he hauled himself from four-over 76 to even-par 144 after 36 holes at the TPC San Antonio-AT&T Oaks Course.
However, Shubhankar Sharma, despite a much-improved card of 73 in the second round ended five-over 149 and missed the cut. It was his third missed cut on the PGA Tour, following such results in Houston Open and the Masters. He was T-9 at the WGC-Mexico.
The weather was mostly cloudy and the wind went up to as much as 25 mph. A total of 80 players at 1-over 145 from a field of 156 professionals made the cut.
Zach Johnson, who made a massive turnaround after being three-over through 12 in the first round, added a 7-under 65 to his first round 2-under 70 and at 9-under he was tied with Ryan Moore (68-67).
Aditi tied-16th
Aditi Ashok, who had a brilliant first round with a three-under 68 that included 14 out of 18 fairways, slipped in the second with a card of 73, placing her at tied 16 after 36 holes in the HUGEL-JTBC Los Angeles Open.
Aditi, who has been having a modest season with four cuts in six starts and a best of T-14 at the Kia Classic, has been hitting very well and finding the fairways well.
Aditi had three birdies, but she gave away far too many bogeys -- five in all -- and ended at 2-over 73.
Moriya Jutanugarn (68-66) at 8-under and Marina Alex (67-68) at 7-under occupy the first two places. They will be chasing a first win on the LPGA Tour.
Interestingly, they will be chased by three major champions in So Yeon Ryu (71-65), Inbee Park (66-71) and Eun-Hee Ji (68-69).
Gangjee tied-2nd
Indian golfer Rahil Gangjee shot three-under 69 to lie tied second after the third round of the Panasonic Open Golf Championship in Osaka.
Gangjee, who is trying to win his second Asian Tour win, 14 years after his first in 2004 in China, was one behind Korea’s Hyungsung Kim, who birdied the 18th and final hole to go to the top of the leaderboard.
Kim’s three-day total of 12-under-par 201 gave him a slender shot lead over Gangjee at the Ibaraki Country Club in the USD 1.37 million event co-sanctioned by Asian and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).
Among other Indians in fray, Arjun Atwal had a superb round with four birdies, an eagle and a double bogey in his five-under 66. Along with 73-69 on first two days, he is now six-under and tied-14th.
SSP Chawrasia also had a fine third round of 67 and he is now five-under and tied-21st and Shiv Kapur (68), who won the Panasonic Open event in Delhi, is T-34.
Gangjee, who has been winless on the Asian Tour since 2004, fired his first salvo with two opening birdies. He dropped a shot on six but recovered well with another pair of birdies on eight and nine.
The 39-year-old Gangjee is aware of the pressures on the final day. But he is hoping he can continue to stay focused and make the long awaited return to the winner’s circle.