Shamim takes lead
Shamim Khan of India took top spot after round two of the American Express Bangladesh Open 2011 with a six under par at the Kurmitola Golf Club yesterday. His cumulative score of eight under par took him two strokes clear of Indian Raju Ali Mollah and Bangladeshi Mohammad Zakiruzzaman, who were tied for second place with six under par at the end of the second day.
Shamim (70-66) dropped his only bogey of the day on the opening hole after missing a chip-putt from the edge. He then hit a purple patch with five successive birdies from the third to the seventh. He sank a couple of 15-footers on the third and sixth and chipped-in from about 35 feet on the fourth. A three-time winner on the Aircel PGTI, Shamim added two more birdies on the 11th and 14th.
Raju Ali Mollah's (69-69) second straight 69 of the tournament featured six birdies and three bogeys and placed him joint-second.
Bangladeshi amateur Zakiruzzaman (71-67) posted a 67 to share second place along with Raju Ali Mollah. Zakiruzzaman, a member of the Bangladeshi team that won the gold medal at the 2010 South Asian Games, made seven birdies against two bogeys in his second round.
Gaganjeet Bhullar and Bangladesh's Siddikur Rahman, two of the pre-tournament favourites, were tied for fourth at five under par after round two.
Bhullar, who fired a 71 on day two, not only sank an eagle and five birdies but also dropped two bogeys and a quadruple bogey on the par-four 11th hole. Siddikur's second round 68 was punctuated by an eagle, three birdies and a bogey.
The day also saw a rare hole-in-one from Indian Feroz Ali Mollah, when his eight-iron tee shot landed five feet short of the 173-yard eighth hole and rolled in after a couple of bounces.
The cut was declared at eight over 152. Fifty professionals and three amateurs made the cut.
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