Lahiri lands eagle, makes cut at Byron Nelson on PGA Tour

Lahiri carded a superb five-under 65 with four birdies and an eagle to move to three-under for the tournament and was placed tied 59th as he moved 64 places up from the first round.

The 28-year-old Indian, whose only top-10 this season has been a second place on European and Asian Tour’s Hero Indian Open at home, started down the barrel after carding two-over 72 in the first round.

Anirban Lahiri landed a crucial eagle on the back nine to make a cut for the weekend at the USD 7.3 million AT&T Byron Nelson on the PGA Tour.

Lahiri carded a superb five-under 65 with four birdies and an eagle to move to three-under for the tournament and was placed tied 59th as he moved 64 places up from the first round.

The 28-year-old Indian, whose only top-10 this season has been a second place on European and Asian Tour’s Hero Indian Open at home, started down the barrel after carding two-over 72 in the first round, which he completed on Friday morning.

Lahiri was two-over through 16 holes on weather-hit first day and came back to complete his first round on Friday. He parred both holes, but had a three-putt on the 18th.

At the top, Ben Crane shot a seven-under 63 on Friday at the AT&T Byron Nelson to take the second-round lead at 12-under 128. He was one stroke ahead of a quartet of players that included Jordan Spieth, playing only his second tournament since squandering a five-stroke lead on the back nine when trying to win his second consecutive Masters.

“It was disappointing to come out and finish weak with a 3 putt this (Friday) morning. With the conditions perfect for scoring I really put myself way out of position,” said Lahiri.

However, he gathered himself in time.

“Coming out for the second round, I was just trying to stay positive and get some semblance of momentum which was absent in the first 18. I got off to a good start (from the 10th) but then misjudged the yardage on 17 to drop back again.”

He was two-under at the turn after three birdies and a bogey and had moved to even par for the tournament, but that was still going to be insufficient to make the cut.

“Going into the last nine I set myself a target to get to 3 under. I missed a lot of makeable birdies on 18, first and third then birdied fourth and made a clutch 15 odd footer for eagle on seventh.

“I could have made one more birdie on 8 or 9 but the putts just shaved the hole. I am happy to be playing the weekend after looking down the barrel earlier this morning.

Hopefully I can carry this form through to Sunday,” he said.

Playing into the wind on the seventh, Lahiri smashed a driver and 3-wood to get within 14 feet for an eagle putt, which he drained to his relief.