February 10, 2017: On another day of good tidings for Indian golf, Shubhankar Sharma found himself leading from the front in the Maybank Championship. Shubhankar was lying fifth with Anirban Lahiri and Shiv Kapur right behind in T6. American David Lipsky produced a flawless five-under-par 67 to set the clubhouse target early in the second round of the Maybank Championship on Friday. Gaganjeet Bhullar lost nine spots to T12 after making an even par 72 in the second round.
Shubhankar started with a big bang, firing four birdies through his first nine holes. Shubhankar started his round on the tenth hole. Even though a bogey on the second hole came as a dampener, he was fluid from there to sign on a solid 68.
“I’m close to the leaders and I’m pretty comfortable now and playing in the final groups, it’s not easy but I’m getting used to it,” said Shubhankar. “The key is to stay relaxed and play like you’re playing in a normal practice round. That’s the only way you can get yourself to hit good shots.”
Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, Lipsky, snared five birdies at the Saujana Golf and Country Club to reach nine-under-par 135 in the US$3 million showpiece sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.
Indian duo Anirban Lahiri, the 2015 Asian Tour number one, and Shiv Kapur, Australia’s Sam Brazel, Italian Matteo Manassero and Germany’s Marcel Siem are two back of Lipsky with round two in progress.
“It was good, played quite solid especially on the front nine. A couple of loose shots on the back nine but all in all, it was pretty solid,” said Anirban. “Think I could have made a couple more coming in but it’s not a bad position to be in going into the weekend.”
Shiv Kapur had eight birdies in a dominant performance. The second round of the Indian also included two bogeys, but this was perhaps his best round since returning from injury.
Anirban made six birdies and two bogeys in another solid round on the SGCC course in Kuala Lumpur.
Lipsky, who holds two Asian Tour victories, produced three birdies in a row from the fifth hole and made four par saves to keep the bogeys off his card. He took only 27 putts throughout the day.
