Anirban Lahiri had a mixed bag in the second round at the men's Olympic golf tournament, which was suspended due to persistent thunderstorms over the east course of the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Japan.
Lahiri, 4-under on the first day, was even par through 16 holes in the second. He was one of the 16 golfers yet to finish. They will return on Saturday morning at 7.45 am and the third round will start after that.
Lahiri bogeyed the second, but made up with a birdie on the sixth and turned in even par. On the back nine, he birdied 10th but dropped a shot on 13th. He was at the 17th when play was suspended. Lahiri was lying T-20 after being tied-8th at the end of the first round.
India’s other player in the field Udayan Mane (69) shot 2-under 69 with the help of three birdies on the back nine after being 1-over for the front nine. He is tied-57th.
Xander Schauffele of the US moved into the clubhouse lead at 11-under after picking birdies on his last three holes and had two eagles, one on the Par-4 sixth and the other on the Par-5 14th, to shoot 8-under 63.
Carlos Ortiz of Mexico is one shot back after rounds of 65-67 and he also eagled Par-4 sixth.
Austrian Sepp Straka, who was leading after the first round, shot even-par on the second day and was 8-under for 36 holes and he was T-3 alongside Chilean Mito Perera (69-65), Swede Alex Noren (67-67) and Japan’s hero Hideki Matsuyama, who was 6-under through 16 holes on the second day after being 2-under 69 on the first day.
Moving into contention was the Irish duo of Rory McIlroy (66) and Shane Lowry (65), who were four shots behind Schauffele.
Schauffele’s grandparents from his mother’s side still live in Japan and he hasbeen keenly looking forward to the Olympics. Schauffele also made his professional debut in Japan. His father, Stefan, a decathlete, was invited to a training camp in Germany. On his way there at age 20, his car was struck by a drunk driver and he lost his left eye, among other injuries.
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