Rabat (Morocco), June 13 (IANS) Ajeetesh Sandhu with a bogey free 3-under 70 became the top Indian at the halfway stage of the US$2 million International Series Morocco. Sandhu, who shot 1-under 72 in the first round is now 4-under and Tied-25th, as four-time IGPL winner, Gaganjeet Bhullar (74) slipped down to T-47 despite a run of four straight birdies on the front nine.

Another IGPL winner, Karandeep Kochhar (72-72) at T-47 was the only other Indian to make the cut.

Seven of the 10 Indians, who started missed the cut and they included Shauryra Bhattacharya, SSP Chawrasia and Anirban Lahiri missing the mark by one shot. Rashid Khan, Aryan Roopa Anand and Udayan Mane were the others to make an early exit.

Meanwhile, two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson joined Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert on top of the leaderboard.

The 47-year-old Watson played great golf to overcome the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam’s Red Course. He carded a seven-under par 66, the lowest round of the day and caught up with Pavit, who closed with a three-under par 70 to tie at 11-under 135 total.

Watson hit 15 of the 18 fairways and made eight birdies against a solitary bogey.

Sandhu birdied the fifth, 11th and the 12th and did not drop any shots, while.

Bhullar starting from the tenth had three bogeys against one birdie on the stretch. He then had a double bogey on the Par-3 second and was 3-over at that stage. He fought back with four birdies in four holes from the fifth but dropped a shot on the ninth, his closing hole for a 74.

Leaders, Watson and Pavit, were one ahead of Korea’s Younghan Song (69) who was 10-under.

Australia’s Travis Smyth (70), International Series Japan champion and the current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader, moved to a tie for fourth place in the clubhouse at nine-under par alongside defending champion Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe (67) and the in-form Taichi Kho of Hong Kong (69).

The Thai duo of Jazz Janewattananond (67), champion of the inaugural International Series Morocco, and Suteepat Prateeptienchai (69) were tied at eight-under.

Watson’s last win was on the PGA Tour at the Travelers Championship in June 2018.

His ball-striking was good and he putted superbly needing just 26 putts.

Pavit did not have the best start as two bogeys in the first eight holes left him one-over par, but just like the opening round, when he made four birdies in his last four holes, he managed to pick up strokes on the 17th and 18th holes for his three-under-par 70.

Mehdi El Fakori was the only Moroccan player to make the cut with rounds of 74 and 70.

–IANS

hs/