Report by Anand Datla
August 29, 2014: SSP Chowrasia, T15 after a good first round suffered mixed fortunes on a low scoring Friday to slide 29 spots down the board. Chowrasia was 6-under after making a hat-trick of birdies on the front nine, but two bogeys and a double on the way back slipped him to 3-under after two rounds of the 71° Open D’Italia in Turin. Shiv Kapur made a 69 to gain 24 spots and escape the cut. Gaganjeet Bhullar (70-73) and Jeev Milkha Singh (76-71) had no such luck though, as they tumbled out of the tournament. Bhullar was right under the cut line at -1, but Jeev was +3 as he missed the cut for the fourth time in five starts.
The second round was enlivened by an outstanding, colourful round of 62 from South African Hennie Otto. The 160th ranked golfer made nine birdies and an eagle, besides a bogey on the 17th to take charge with a three shot advantage over Bernd Wiesberger. The Austrian also had a three shot gap from the third placed Scot, Ross Fisher.
Chowrasia’s day promised the moon, but in the end the man from Kolkata was just chasing shadows as he scrambled to limit the damage. Things picked up for Chowrasia when he made three straight birdies just before making the turn. But after a 33, he made his first bogey at the 11th and then struggled to a 7 at the par-5 15th hole to surrender everything he gained on his way out. Though he made a birdie at the 16th a bogey to finish his round meant that he could only sign a 72.
Kapur’s was a far more subdued effort. Four birdies – two on either side and a bogey at the 18th hole helped him to a 69 and bring him into under par territory after two rounds. Bhullar was placed comfortably after the first round, but a 73 on Friday, including four bogeys set him back and dropped him right under the cut line. Milkha Singh made five bogeys and six birdies for a 71, but that was far from enough following his 76 in the first round.
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