Shubhankar makes cut comfortably, lies 19th in Italian Open, Pavon leads field

Shubhankar Sharma.

Khel Today Bureau 

Rome, Italy: Indian ace Shubhankar Sharma made the cut with a round of 4-under 67 that included a hole-in-one at the DS Automobiles Italian Open. The 67 was a welcome round after his 73 in the first round as he comfortably made the cut, which was a relief as he had missed four cuts in the last six starts despite playing well in patches.

Sharma at 2-under for 36 holes is now Tied-19^th while Manu Gandas (71-80) had a rough time and missed the cut.

The highlight of Sharma’s day was a hole-in-one on the 17^th. He hit his 5-Iron on the 217-yard hole and it brought him his first ace after a few albatrosses in the past.

Sharma started the second round from the tenth with bogeys on first and second holes. He recovered with three birdies in a row from 12th to 14^th and found a hole-in-one on the 17^th. A birdie on Par-4 fifth saw him get to 4-under for the day and 2-under for the tournament and he was Tied-19^th at the end of the round.

Pavon followed up his first day heroics of 8-under 63 with 1-under 70 and stayed in lead at 9-under at the halfway stage. He began his second round in style with three birdies in a row from 11^th to 13^th but bogeys on 14^th and 17^th and then one more on eighth saw him drop back. He finished with a birdie on ninth for a 70.

Pavon made a hat-trick of birdies on the 11th, 12th and 13th but carded three bogeys – on the 14th, 17th and eighth – before getting his next birdie at the ninth.

Julien Guerrier and Adrian Otaegui were his nearest challengers on seven under. Guerrier made five birdies and three bogeys in his 69, while Otaegui notched an eagle, five birdies and three bogeys as he signed for a 67.

The crowds at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club were treated to two aces on the second day as Thriston Lawrence won a brand new DS 4 car at the seventh with a hole-in-one after Shubhankar Sharma made a hole-in-one on the par-three 17th.