Asian Tour: Ahlawat grabs lead at halfway stage of DGC Open, as Sandhu stays in hunt in India

India’s Veer Ahlawat has a two-shot lead at the halfway stage of The DGC Open, as he seeks his first win on the Asian Tour.

Ahlawat added a 5-under 67 to his opening 68 at Delhi Golf Club to move to 9-under, while compatriot Ajeetesh Sandhu shot a 68 in a tournament that is the first Asian Tour event played in India since the end of 2019.

Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong is a stroke further back after returning a 70, while Gaganjeet Bhullar from India (66) and Thailand’s Chanat Sakulpolphaisan (67) and Kasidit Lepkurte (68) are another shot behind.

First-round leaders Travis Smyth from Australia and Indian Shankar Das slipped back down the field after shooting 73 and 74, to lie four and three under respectively.

Ahlawat’s round was both brilliant and composed: he started on the back nine and made the turn in 5-under with four birdies in a row from 12 and another on 17, before rattling off nine straight nine pars.

“My swing is feeling pretty good, so I was pretty confident that if I keep hitting it in the fairway, I’m going to hit good second shots so that was my plan for today,” the 26-year-old said.

“I think my iron shots were on point today. I hit them pretty close, and I did hole putts, so my putting is also rolling pretty good.”

A professional since 2016, he has won once before on the Professional Golf Tour of India and impressed earlier this year in the SMBC Singapore Open, where he tied for fifth.