Anirban Lahiri lying T16 as Tommy Fleetwood flies into the lead

Anirban Lahiri chipped in from nearly forty feet to end the second round at WGC Bridgestone Invitational with an even 70. Shubhankar Sharma endured another difficult day

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Anirban Lahiri during the first round of the WGC Bridgestone Invitational

WGC Release – August 04, 2018: Anirban Lahiri chipped in from almost 40 feet to ensure he ended a battling second day with an even par 70 at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. Following on his first round 5-under 65, he is now 5-under for 36 holes but slipped from overnight T-7 to T-16. Overall, Lahiri had three birdies and three bogeys for a par round at the Firestone Country Club on Friday.

Meanwhile, young Shubhankar Sharma had a miserable second day at the event with a second round 9-over 79 that took him to 11-over 151 and he was dead last at 71st and had no birdies against nine bogeys on the second day.

Race to Dubai champion, Tommy Fleetwood had seven birdies in his 63 as he took a share of the lead alongside Ian Poulter (62-67) and Justin Thomas (65-64) at the halfway stage.

Tiger Woods moved up from T-14 to T-10 as he added a 2-under 68 to his first round 66.

After putting beautifully in first day when he also hit some great approaches, things were not as simple on the second day.  He hit seven of 14 fairways and 10 of 18 greens in regulation but missed a couple of short putts, one from five feet and two others from 10 and 14 feet. On first day he had no missed inside 10 feet. But in the second round Lahiri did chip on the eighth hole, his second last hole of the day.

Starting at the par-4 10th, Lahiri’s 117 yard approach to seven feet set himself up for the birdie on the hole, but on the par-4 11th, Lahiri’s tee shot went 292 yards to the left side of the fairway, his second shot went 117 yards to the right greenside bunker, and he came out needing to hole a 20-footer for par and he failed for a bogey.

On par-4 13th hole, Lahiri hit his approach shot to inside four feet for a birdie, but missed his par putt from 6 feet on 17th for a 3-putt bogey from 26 feet. Lahiri bogeyed sixth, but holed a chip from 38 feet for a birdie that ensured a par round.

Tiger Woods hit 13 of 18 greens in regulation in the second round while shooting 68 with four birdies against two bogeys. He began with a two-putt bogey on the first, birdies on Par-5 second, Par-4 fourth and Par-3 fifth. On the Par-3 12th, he hit a tee shot that left him inside two feet for a birdie, but on par-4 14th, Woods went into right rough and then the intermediate and failed to hole a 17-footer for par.

Fleetwood began the day four strokes behind overnight leader and fellow Englishman Poulter. The 27 year old produced his lowest-ever score at a WGC event with three birdies on his front nine and four more after the turn to join fellow early starters Poulter and World No. 3 Thomas at the top of the leaderboard on 11-under par.

Poulter had three birdies in his first 11 holes but he two birdies with two bogeys in next seven saw him finish at 67. Thomas finished in style with five birdies on his back nine enroute to 64.

Kyle Stanley and Jason Day were closest to leading trio at 9-under while four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy and Si Woo Kim were another stroke further back in Tied-6th.

 

This is a release from the WGC Bridgestone Invitational

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