Siddikur on top

Siddikur Rahman continued his superb form in the Panasonic Open India, taking the top spot at the end of the second round but the other three Bangladeshi golfers failed to make the cut yesterday.

Siddikur, a two-time Asian Tour winner whose last title on the tour came at the Delhi Golf Club five years ago, enjoyed a second consecutive day of good form, firing eight birdies against two bogeys at his favourite golf course. The 33-year-old, who had a bogey-free opening round of five-under, aggregated 11-under-par (133) to share the lead with Thai youngster Suradit Yongcharoenchai.

The premier Bangladeshi golfer started the round with back-to-back birdies and ended in the same fashion, with the only blemishes of the day occurring on the 12th and 13th holes.

Placed 97th on the Order of Merit, Siddikur will have the chase at the back of his mind when he bids for a third victory on the region's premier Tour and second at this golf course.

The 33-year-old is hopeful of turning his season around with a strong showing on his favourite hunting ground, where he holds an impeccable track record. He needs to finish inside the top-60 on the final merit rankings to keep his card for 2019.

"I had another excellent day with eight birdies and two bogeys. Overall, it was still a wonderful round. I am happy because I played exactly the way I wanted to play," Siddikur told Asiantour.com after the end of the day's play.

"I am really enjoying the course so far. I am very comfortable with my driver and three-wood. Nothing really different compared to yesterday. I stuck to my game plan and kept the same strategy," Siddikur added.

However, the three other Bangladeshi golfers -- Shakhawat Hossain, Zamal Hossain Mollah and Dulal Hossain failed to make the cut after a horrendous second round. Zamal missed out with four-over, Sohel failed with six-over while Dulal missed the cut with 10-over on aggregate.