New Delhi, India (SportsNetwork.com) - S.S.P. Chawrasia fired a bogey- free, 4-under 67 in Friday's second round and he holds a 1-shot lead heading into the weekend of the Hero Indian Open.
Chawrasia, who held a share of the first-round lead with four others, finished 36 holes at 10-under-par 132. The India native has two career victories on the European Tour at the 2008 Indian Masters and the 2011 Avantha Masters, both of which were contested on Chawrasia's home soil.
"I feel good and aggressive," said Chawrasia. "I will do the same on the last two days. I'm very happy because I saved a lot of pars. It wasn't easy to keep the bogeys away from my card, I had to make a lot of saves."
Siddikur Rahman, who was also one of the five to share the lead after day one, carded a 3-under 68 on Friday and he is alone in second at 9-under 133 at Delhi Golf Club.
Also first-round co-leaders, Chapchai Nirat and Joakim Lagergren shot matching 6-under 71s to finish 36 holes at 6-under 136. They are both tied for third. Richard McEvoy (67) and Paul Peterson (68) are one shot further back and are tied for fifth at minus-5.
The other co-leader after round one, Richard T. Lee, struggled on his way to a 4-over 75 and he dropped into a tie for 13th at 2-under 140.
Chawrasia picked up right where he left off on Thursday. Following a birdie on the par-5 first hole, the 36-year-old coasted through the rest of his front nine with eight straight pars from No. 2.
Chawrasia got back on the birdie train as he made the turn, making back-to- back gains on 10 and 11. That pulled him into a tie for the lead with Rahman.
After making four straight pars from No. 12, Chawrasia broke the tie and took the outright lead with his fourth birdie on No. 16, making him the first player to 10-under.
Chawrasia finished up his round with a pair of pars on 17 and 18, completing his second straight bogey-free round.
"I'm playing very well the last two days," Chawrasia said. "I've played here many times so I know how to play on this course. This is the first time I'm bogey-free after 36 holes."
Rahman continued his solid play on Friday after a successful day one. After starting with two pars on 10 and 11, Rahman drained a pair of birdies on 12 and 13. He tripped to his first bogey of the week on the par-4 15th, but he got that shot back three holes later with a gain on 18.
Making the turn at minus-2 for the day, Rahman poured in his fourth birdie on No. 1. Rahman later made a mess of the par-4 fourth hole as he made double- bogey, which dropped him back to 1-under.
Rahman rattled off a trio of pars from five before finishing strong with back- to-back birdies on eight and nine, vaulting him up to minus-9 and into the lead at the time before Chawrasia caught and surpassed him as a member of the later pairings.
Nirat made just two birdies and two bogeys on his round to go along with 14 pars, while Lagergren holed four birdies and four bogeys, three of which came on consecutive holes from No. 6.
NOTES: Chawrasia is the only player bogey-free through two rounds this week ... Chawrasia's win at the 2008 Indian Masters was on the same course ... Only 24 players finished 36 holes under par ... This is the 51st installment of the Hero Indian Open but it is the first on the European Tour ... With the cut falling at 2-over 144, 69 players advanced to play the weekend.
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