Ontario, June 13 (IANS) Indian-American star Sahith Theegala remains in contention at the Canadian Open despite surrendering his share of the lead during the second round. The golfer carded a 1-under 69 to reach 7-under for the tournament and Tied-13. He is just three shots behind the leader as the event heads into an intriguing weekend phase.

After an impressive opening-round 64 had propelled him into a share of the lead, Theegala faced a sterner challenge on Friday. While conditions and scoring opportunities were not as favourable, the 27-year-old showed resilience and ensured he stayed within striking distance of the leaders.

Starting on the front nine, Theegala looked set for another low round as he collected birdies at the third and seventh holes. His ball-striking remained solid for much of the day, but a pair of bogeys on the 10th and 15th holes halted his momentum and briefly pushed him back toward the pack. Refusing to let the round slip away, he produced a timely birdie at the closing 18th hole to sign for a 69 and maintain his place among the contenders.

At 7-under 133 after 36 holes, Theegala is tied for 13th place and well positioned to launch an attack over the final two rounds. With several players tightly packed near the top of the leaderboard, a strong moving day could quickly propel him back into title contention.

Another player with Indian roots, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, also enjoyed a productive day and comfortably secured a weekend berth. The Canadian golfer fired a 4-under 66, one of the better rounds among the chasing pack, to climb to 5-under overall and a share of 28th place.

Yellamaraju recovered impressively after an early bogey on the third hole. He birdied the first, fourth and ninth holes on the outward half before adding further gains at the 15th and 18th. His composed performance ensured he advanced to the final two rounds with confidence.

The news was less encouraging for PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai. The Englishman of Indian heritage narrowly missed the cut after an even-par 70 left him at 1-under for the week, one shot short of the required mark. Rai appeared poised to make the weekend after a birdie on the 16th hole, but a costly bogey on the 17th proved decisive. A closing birdie was not enough to extend his stay in Canada.

Also failing to progress was Indo-Canadian qualifier Jeevan Sihota, whose 72 left him at 3-over for the tournament.

At the top of the leaderboard, PGA Tour rookie Ben James emerged as the surprise leader. The young American produced a flawless 7-under 63 featuring an eagle and five birdies to move to 10-under overall. Five players, including Sam Burns and Haotong Li, were a shot behind him on 9-under.

With Theegala only three strokes off the lead and showing flashes of the form that earned him early control of the tournament, the weekend promises an exciting opportunity for the Indian-American star to challenge for another significant PGA Tour title.

–IANS

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