Shubhankar Sharma fires back-to-back 66s to lead Boulders Classic by two

The 29-year-old Shubhankar (66-66), a six-time DP World PGTI winner, is playing his first event on the tour since the Tour Championship in Jamshedpur in December 2021. He moved to the top of the leaderboard at 12-under 132 with a steady and controlled display over the first two days.

Thirty-six-year-old Divyanshu Bajaj (69-65) of Kolkata produced an error-free seven-under 65 to climb from tied 14th to solo second at 10-under 134.

Overnight leader Vishesh Sharma (65-70) of Hyderabad slipped to third at nine-under 135 after a round of two-under 70.

Honey Baisoya, a winner on the DP World PGTI this year, broke the course record with an immaculate round of eight-under 64 that propelled him 38 spots from overnight tied 42nd to tied fourth at a total of eight-under 136. Honey, who made an eagle, eight birdies and two bogeys during his spectacular second round, eclipsed the previous course record of 65 shot by Vishesh Sharma in round one.

Ajeetesh Sandhu (68) and Anshul Kabthiyal (67) shared fourth place with Baisoya.

Shubhankar Sharma fired seven birdies against a lone bogey, closing strongly with back-to-back birdies to build on his opening-round momentum.

Reflecting on his strong run, Shubhankar said, "I've finished well both days with a couple of birdies, so that's been encouraging going into tomorrow. I played pretty solid again today and stayed patient throughout. I gave myself plenty of chances and managed to convert a few early, which helped me settle into the round."

He added, "The front nine has been good to me over the last two days. Even today, starting on the 10th, I felt like I didn't do much wrong and kept things steady. It's important to stay calm out here and take your chances when they come."

Speaking about the course, Sharma said, "There are some really good holes here. The 12th is a key tee shot-you have to find the fairway because there's trouble on both sides. The course demands precision, especially with the way it's set up, so keeping the ball in play is crucial."

Divyanshu Bajaj, a regular on the DP World PGTI since 2010, came up with a flawless round featuring an eagle on the par-5 14th and five birdies.

The highlight came on the 14th, where Bajaj struck a precise second shot from around 190 yards to about 20 feet and converted the putt for eagle.

"I was happy with the round. A clean scorecard was important for me, and I managed to keep the ball in play," Bajaj said. "It's a tricky course with penalty areas on both sides, so getting the tee shots right helps build momentum."

Local lad and teenager Vishesh Sharma continued to make his mark in his home town, recording his second consecutive eagle on the par-5 14th.

Despite a challenging day, Sharma produced a standout moment on the 14th, shaping his approach around a tree from the fairway to about 12 feet before converting the putt.

"I had a bit of a rough day going till then, but the eagle on the 14th helped me get back into the round," Sharma said. "I stayed patient and kept my head in the game."

Yuvraj Sandhu, one of the pre-tournament favourites, followed his opening round of 73 with a four-under 68 to be placed tied 27th at three-under 141.

The cut fell at even-par 144, with 53 of 131 players advancing to the last two rounds.

- IANS