Andhra Open Golf: Khalin Joshi surges ahead on day two
Visakhapatnam, April 8
Khalin Joshi shot a second consecutive three-under 68 to move into the lead at six-under 136 after round two of the INR 1 crore Andhra Open Golf Championship 2026 being played at the East Point Golf Club in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old Bengaluru-based former Asian Tour winner holds a one-shot advantage over overnight leader Dhruv Sheoran, who carded a one-under 70 to slip to second spot at five-under 137.
Chikkarangappa S., a 14-time winner on the DP World PGTI, also returned a 70 to sit third at four-under 138.
On a windy day where conditions proved challenging, Khalin Joshi (68-68) stayed steady from tee to green to edge ahead. Khalin made four birdies and a bogey on the final hole.
"I had a pretty solid day. From tee to green, I hit it well. It was windy, but overall, I'm happy with my ball-striking and am now looking forward to the weekend. The big challenge was dealing with the switching wind. I feel I negotiated the conditions well," Khalin said.
The par-5 seventh has been adjusted to a 477-yard par-4, bringing the course par down to 71.
Dhruv Sheoran (67-70) looked set to extend his lead after opening with an eagle and building a three-shot cushion through 12 holes. However, back-to-back bogeys on the 16th and 17th saw him slip back into second place.
Six players - Viraj Madappa, Sri Lanka's N. Thangaraja, Chandigarh trio of Brashwarpal Singh, Akshay Sharma, and Manjot Singh, and Dubai-based Yash Majmudar - were tied fourth at two-under 140. The cut fell at six-over 148, with 52 of 130 players advancing to the last two rounds.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Tough luck for Dhruv Sheoran with those back-to-back bogeys on 16 and 17. He had such a strong start with the eagle. The pressure of leading must have gotten to him. Still, one shot behind is nothing - the weekend is going to be thrilling!
It's fantastic to see a major tournament in Visakhapatnam! East Point is a beautiful course. This kind of exposure for golf in Andhra Pradesh is much needed. Hope it inspires more young talent from the region to take up the sport.
Chikka is lurking just two shots back! Never count out the experience of a 14-time PGTI winner. He knows how to win these tournaments. The leaderboard is packed with quality - Viraj Madappa, the Chandigarh boys... it's anyone's game.
A respectful criticism: The article mentions the par-5 being changed to a par-4, but doesn't really explain *why*. Was it due to weather or a course strategy decision? A little more detail on such technical changes would be helpful for us golf nerds.
Impressive to see such a strong international field with players from Sri Lanka and Dubai. The cut at +6 seems fair given the windy conditions. Best of luck to all the pros for the weekend rounds!
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