Indian sports wrap, February 23
GOLF
Kapur, Sandhu top Indians after first round in Oman
Indian golfers Shiv Kapur and Yuvraj Sandhu shot identical scores of 2-under 70 to be placed Tied-26th on the first day of the USD 2 million International Series Oman at Al Mouj Golf Club here.
Spaniard David Puig, who won the IRS Prima Malaysian Open, enjoys the lead in the first International Series event of 2024 after shooting a seven-under-par 65, which matched the course record.
Other Indians in fray, S Chikkarangappa (71) was T-37, while Karandeep Kochhar, SSP Chawrasia and Rashid Khan carded 72 each to be T-59. Anirban Lahiri, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Ajeetesh Sandhu were all 1-over and occupy T-71st spot.
Honey Baisoya (74) at T-91 and Jeev Milkha Singh (75) at T-108 were in danger of missing the cut.
Kapur, playing his first event of 2024, was going great guns at 4-under with four birdies in first 16 holes before a double bogey on the 17th meant a two-shot drop to 70. Sandhu, who was in Top-20 in Malaysia, had five birdies against three bogeys.
Puig’s playing partner Joaquin Niemann of Chile carded a 66 to sit in solo second position, while compatriot Mito Pereira is next best with a 67, along with Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz, Australian Kevin Yuan and Manav Shah from the United States.
The 22-year-old Puig fired back-to-back 62s to win in Malaysia for his second Tour title. Niemann started the round soon after getting the news of an invite from The Masters in April.
SQUASH
Abhay Singh in Goodfellow Classic squash semis
Abhay Singh is in line for a second PSA Challenger Tour title in as many months as the 25-year-old advanced to the semifinals of the Goodfellow Classic squash in Toronto on Thursday.
Top-seeded Abhay beat Frenchman Maceo Levy 13-11, 11-7, 11-3 in 33 minutes in the quarterfinals, and will take on Abdelrahman Abdelkhalek of Egypt in the last-four stage.
World No 66 Abhay won the JSW Willingdon PSA event in Mumbai last month, following a memorable 2023 that saw him play the decider in the final against Pakistan and save two match points for India to clinch the men’s team gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Meanwhile, in Chicago, Ramit Tandon went down to Egyptian eighth seed Tarek Momen 5-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-8 in 34 minutes in the second round of the Windy City Open, a PSA World Tour Platinum event.
Golf
Sei Young Kim is among three tied for the lead after two rounds of the LPGA Thailand tournament
Former Women’s PGA Championship winner Sei Young Kim moved from second place into a three-way tie for the lead after two rounds of the LPGA Thailand tournament on Friday.
Kim, who won the 2020 Women’s PGA title by five strokes at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania, had a two-round total of 10-under 134 on the Siam Country Club Old Course at Chonburi southeast of Bangkok.
She was tied with Madelene Sagstrom and Patty Tavatanakit, who each shot 67 on Friday. They had a one-stroke lead over three players.
First-round leader Peiyun Chien, who led Kim by two strokes after the first round, shot 72 Friday and was in a group two strokes behind the leaders. Defending champion Lilia Vu had a 67 Friday and was 4-under and six strokes behind the leaders.
LPGA tournaments are also scheduled over the next two weeks in Singapore and China. (AP)