Pieters leads, Shubhankar takes Indian charge at rd 2 of Maybank championship

Shubhankar sharma shot 68 to lead the Indian charge at T11. Thomas Pieters leads the second round by one shot at the Maybank Championship.

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22 March, 2019: Indonesia’s Danny Masrin remained unfazed by the prospect of going up against his more illustrious rivals as he charged up the leaderboard to trail Belgium’s Thomas Pieters by one shot in tied-second place at the Maybank Championship on Friday. Shubhankar Sharma bounced back with four-under 68 to regain his form.

Shubhankar Sharma fired an eagle, three birdies and a bogey to finish three shots behind the lead. Sharma lying at T11 with five-under total.

Masrin, who is playing under the ASEAN invite category this week, did not display any signs of nerve as he continued to put himself in contention at the US$3 million event with his two-day total of seven-under-par 137.

After opening with a three-under-par 69 at the Saujana Golf and Country Club, the Indonesian went one better as he traded seven birdies and a three bogeys to sign for a 68 and a share of second place with Spain’s Nacho Elvira.

Pieters, who is one half of the Belgium’s World Cup of Golf winning duo in Melbourne last November, started the day two shots off the lead in sixth place.

He suffered an early setback with a bogey on two but responded well with four birdies on holes four, 10, 13 and 16 to take his place atop the leaderboard.

American Paul Peterson made light work of the sweltering heat in Malaysia by signing for a 68 to make his move up the leaderboard and take a share of fourth place that also included Major winner Ernie Els of South Africa, Thailand’s Jazz Janaewattananond and 2014 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion David Lipsky of the United States.

Starting the day five shots off the lead, Peterson was among the early morning starters and he went off quickly by firing birdies on 11 and 18 to quickly close the gap in his opening back-nine 10.

The American, who won his only Asian Tour title in Myanmar in 2018, continued to sink even more birdies on holes one, three and five to put himself into a commanding position for the weekend rounds.

Thailand’s Prom Meesawat was also in the heat of the battle but he returned unscathed after firing a 71 to stay close to the leaders in a share of 11th place.

The weekend cut was set at even-par with 74 players making the cut.

Source: Asian Tour