Nairobi, Feb 21 (IANS) Veer Ahlawat and Shubhankar Sharma made the halfway cut in the 2026 Magical Kenya Open.

Ahlawat, who played the full season last year, shott 67-67 and was 6-under for two rounds to be well placed at T-28th. Sharma had to produce a super second with six birdies against one bogey for a 5-under 65 to squeeze into the cut line at 4-under after two days. He was T-55. Ahlawat in his second round had five birdies against two bogeys.

Yuvraj Sandhu, however, missed out on the cut with 69-71.

Frederic Lacroix shot a second-round 62 to share the halfway lead with Casey Jarvis. At 13 under par, the pair held a two-shot lead over the field as they attempted to wrestle the limelight from Kenya’s Njoroge Kibugu, who delighted the home crowd by making the cut with an eagle at the last.

Jarvis’ fellow South African Hennie Du Plessis fired a stunning 61, which would have been a course record had preferred lies not been in play at Karen Country Club, to share third place with Spain’s Angel Ayora and Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia.

After finishing his opening 65 with an eagle to build momentum, Lacroix had four birdies before the turn and the same again afterwards for a brilliant 62.

Gouveia shot a bogey-free 65 while Ayora fired seven birdies to match that score. The Spaniard said: “I’m feeling very good, my putting is good and from the tee I’m hitting very good.

Meanwhile, all three players of Indian origin made the halfway cut at the Genesis Invitational, the second Signature event of the season on the PGA Tour. Aaron Rai, whose first round 66 put him in Top-10, shot a second round 70 and was Tied-12th, while Akshay Bhatia (68-71) was T-21 and Sahith Theegala, who is playing this week on a Charlie Sifford exemption from tournament host Tiger Woods, with 70-71 was Tied-33rd.

Rai had five birdies against four bogeys while Bhatia had three birdies and three bogeys and Theegala had three birdies against two bogeys.

Marco Penge and Jacob Bridgeman had superb finishes at The Riviera Country Club, each with a 7-under 64 that left them tied for the lead at The Genesis Invitational with Rory McIlroy right on their heels.

For Scottie Scheffler, there a grind before he made a 7-foot par to make the cut.

Penge, the leading player from the DP World Tour to secure a PGA TOUR card for this year, pulled away with five birdies over his final seven holes and was the first to post at 12-under 130. More remarkable than his score was keeping his mind on golf – his wife is moving into their new home in Florida and expecting their second child next week.

Bridgeman birdied his last three holes, finishing with a 5-iron into a cool breeze to 8 feet to join Penge.

McIlroy has opened 66-65, and he has only one bogey on his card through 36 holes, quite a change from last week at Pebble Beach, when he had three double bogeys and a triple bogey that ruined his chances to contend.

This is one of three Signature Events that has a 36-hole cut to top 50 and ties, and anyone within 10 shots of the lead. Scheffler, who had to rally Friday morning for a 74 to complete the rain-delayed first round, was well aware where he stood. He was on the ropes, 4-over par for the tournament, 10 holes to play, figuring he needed to get to even par. He did with 74-68 at even par, which was the cut line.

It was the third straight week he failed to break par in the opening round.

–IANS

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