Chattogram (Bangladesh), March 10 Bangladesh's Md Akbar Hossain kept up the tempo and maintained his lead at the end of round two in the Mujib Borsho Chattogram Open 2022 at the Bhatiary Golf & Country Club here on Thursday.
Hossain (67) carded an excellent six-under 66 to continue to lead by one shot for the second straight day with a total of 11-under 133 at the INR 50 lakh event in Bangladesh sanctioned by the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI).
Kshitij Naveed Kaul (71-63) of India produced the day's best score of nine-under 63 to move up five spots into the second position at a total of 10-under 134.
The half-way cut was applied at five-over 149 and 50 professionals and three amateurs made it to the last two rounds.
Md Akbar Hossain sank three birdies on the first four holes thanks to some good chip-putts. The 27-year-old, who hails from Dhaka, conceded a bogey on the fifth but soon added four birdies between the sixth and the 11th. He nearly found the green with his 3-wood tee shot on the par-4 10th to set up an easy birdie.
A 30-feet birdie putt from just off the green on the 15th was one of the highlights of his round. Akbar Hossain, a professional since 2018 and a full cardholder on the PGTI, dropped a bogey on the 16th but still ended the day on top of the leaderboard.
Kaul made an astonishing 10 birdies at the cost of a lone bogey to fall just one short of Indian professional Kapil Kumar's course record of 62 set in 2018.
The 21-year-old Kaul, a two-time PGTI winner, scored six birdies on the back nine thanks to some outstanding approach shots and up and downs as he landed it within five feet on five occasions. His lone bogey was the result of a three-putt on the 15th. On the front-nine, Kaul added four more birdies including a 25-feet conversion on the ninth, the PGTI informed in a release on Thursday.
Bangladesh's Md Razu continued in third place after shooting a second consecutive 68 that took his total to eight-under 136. Meanwhile, Bangladesh's premier golfer Md Siddikur Rahman, followed up his first round of 71 with a 66 on Thursday to rise three spots to the fourth spot at seven-under 137.
Divesh Rana was the next best Indian after Kshitij Naveed Kaul as he occupied tied fifth place at six-under 138 along with Bangladesh's Badal Hossain.
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