GOLF | Flawless Fleetwood tops leaderboard at halfway stage of DP World India Championship

Tommy Fleetwood followed up a dependable opening circular of 68 with an impeccable, bogey-free eight-under 64 to instrumentality sole pb astatine the halfway signifier of the DP World India Championship astatine the Delhi Golf Club present connected Friday.

Englishman Fleetwood, grouped with his Ryder Cup skipper and compatriot Luke Donald and Ireland’s Shane Lowry, totalled 12-under for 2 days to instrumentality implicit the apical spot.

The Irishman slid to tied 2nd with 4 birdies and a bogey connected the 18th for a two-day full of 133, 1 drift of the clubhouse leader. Brian Harman excessively bettered his opening time people from 68 to 65.

Harman stayed level with Fleetwood for the longest clip but was incapable to lucifer up to the latter’s flawless show with a azygous dropped changeable connected the 13th, capable to propulsion him down a spot. Fleetwood, pleased with his performance, nevertheless admitted determination was nary scope to instrumentality things easy.

“It’s specified a unsocial situation for each of us. The greens are firming retired a small spot and the pins person been tricky. It’s been precise enjoyable,” said Fleetwood.

“It’s a trial of patience erstwhile you’re not rather connected it due to the fact that it’s 1 of those courses wherever you consciousness if you deed it bully disconnected the tee you’re going to... consciousness similar you’ve ever got a accidental of going connected a run. It’s specified a waiting game. You’ve got to beryllium precise patient. It’s been a large test.”

First-round person Lowry had a dependable circular but played a batch safer, contented with staying wrong scope and not being excessively assertive connected the holes for an 11-under score. Rory McIlroy’s struggles connected the people continued, the World No. 2 being successful an eight-way necktie for 17th with an identical Day Two people of 69 for a two-day full of 138.

Shubhankar Sharma, meanwhile, was the champion Indian successful the field, recovering from a disappointing 74 connected the opening time for a six-under 66 connected Day Two for a four-under 140 astatine midway adjacent arsenic the cut, applied astatine two-under and ties, saw 5 making the play rounds.

Top results: 132: Tommy Fleetwood (Eng, 68-64); 133: Shane Lowry (Ire, 64-69), Brian Harman (USA, 68-65), 134: Keita Nakajima (Jpn, 65-69).