Chawrasia makes cut as Jeev, Bhullar exit early in China

Gaganjeet Bhullar (74-71) and former winner of the Volvo China Open Jeev Milkha Singh (73-72) missed the cut by two shots.

Chawrasia added an even par 72 to his first round 71 to get to one-under 143 and was tied 53rd.

SSP Chawrasia was the lone Indian golfer to make the cut at the Volvo China Open here.

Chawrasia added an even par 72 to his first round 71 to get to one-under 143 and was tied 53rd.

Gaganjeet Bhullar (74-71) and former winner of the Volvo China Open Jeev Milkha Singh (73-72) missed the cut by two shots.

Chawrasia had a very eventful round with four birdies and four bogeys as he slipped in the middle of the round with back-to-back bogeys on eighth and ninth, while playing with Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal, who shot a six-under 66 to move into a three-shot sole lead at the halfway stage.

Larrazabal carded five birdies and an eagle to move to 14-under-par at the Topwin Golf and Country Club and goes into the weekend with a three-shot advantage over European Tour rookie Dylan Frittelli of South Africa and Frenchman Alexander Levy on 11-under, with Soomin Lee of South Korea a shot further adrift in fourth on 10-under.

Chawrasia, playing his first event since the sensational seven-shot win at the Hero Indian Open, said, “I am hitting it straight and finding good number of greens, too, but my putting has not been very good. I need to work on that over the weekend.”

Larrazabal, a four-time winner on The European Tour, said, “Last weekend I probably played the best tee-to-green golf of my career and didn’t hole any putts but it looks like these past two days have been the other way around.”