GOLF | Flawless Fleetwood tops leaderboard at midway stage of DP World India Championship

Tommy Fleetwood adopted up a gentle opening spherical of 68 with an impeccable, bogey-free eight-under 64 to take sole lead on the midway stage of the DP World India Championship on the Delhi Golf Club right here on Friday.

Englishman Fleetwood, grouped together with his Ryder Cup captain and compatriot Luke Donald and Ireland’s Shane Lowry, totalled 12-under for 2 days to take excessive spot.

The Irishman slid to tied second with 4 birdies and a bogey on the 18th for a two-day complete of 133, one drift of the clubhouse chief. Brian Harman too bettered his opening day rating from 68 to 65.

Harman stayed degree with Fleetwood for the longest time however was unable to match as much as the latter’s flawless efficiency with a single dropped shot on the thirteenth, sufficient to push him down a spot. Fleetwood, happy together with his efficiency, nonetheless admitted there was no scope to take issues straightforward.

“It’s such a singular problem for all of us. The greens are firming out a little bit bit and the pins have been tough. It’s been very pleasing,” mentioned Fleetwood.

“It’s a take a look at of endurance while you’re not fairly on it as a result of it’s a type of programs the place you are feeling if you happen to hit it good off the tee you’re going to… really feel such as you’ve all the time acquired an opportunity of occurring a run. It’s such a ready sport. You’ve acquired to be very affected person. It’s been an important take a look at.”

First-round chief Lowry had a gentle spherical however performed so much safer, content material with staying inside attain and never being too aggressive on the holes for an 11-under rating. Rory McIlroy’s struggles on the course continued, the World No. 2 being in an eight-way tie for seventeenth with an equivalent Day Two rating of 69 for a two-day complete of 138.

Shubhankar Sharma, in the meantime, was the most effective Indian within the subject, recovering from a disappointing 74 on the opening day for a six-under 66 on Day Two for a four-under 140 at halfway even because the reduce, utilized at two-under and ties, noticed 5 making the weekend rounds.

Top outcomes: 132: Tommy Fleetwood (Eng, 68-64); 133: Shane Lowry (Ire, 64-69), Brian Harman (USA, 68-65), 134: Keita Nakajima (Jpn, 65-69).