Pappan carded a steady level-par 70, and at a two-day tally of six-under 134, managed to stay atop the leader-board, giving himself every chance to realize the all elusive dream of a first Amby Valley PGAI Tour title win at the Rs 10-lakh Hero Honda Open South 2004, being played at the par-70, Bangalore Golf Club course.
One stroke behind Pappan sat the duo of Rafiq Ali and Mohd. Islam, both of whom have records of winning Amby Valley PGAI Tour titles at the garden city.
Local hero Rahul Ganapathy and Digvijay Singh were tied fourth at four-under 136 apiece.
The cut was applied at eight-over 148, with 53 professionals making it to the deciding rounds.
Among the big names to miss the bus was Delhi's Rohtas Singh.
"I don't win . . .. I just lead," said a smiling Pappan when queried about how many Amby Valley PGAI Tour wins he had under his belt.
Pappan might have passed that remark in jest but he is determined as hell to win his first ever Tour title this week.
Today, the first tee starter stumbled early on with a bogey on only his second hole. On that occasion, his driver, sand wedge combination found the edge of the green, from where he missed up and down. All of Pappan's off season training involves just playing round after round of match-play golf with his buddies.
"Betting keeps one in focus on every single shot throughout the round," says the 36-year-old.
From the third hole onwards, Pappan brought some of that focus into play and the results were apparent almost immediately. Birdies on the third and fourth were a combination of good chipping and putting and contributed to the golfer's standing on the tenth tee box at one-under.
Luck favours the brave but only conditionally.
Pappan after a pared tenth dropped two shots on the following hole.
"I was sitting pretty for a birdie just eight feet away from the pin, but I four-putted for a double," said the leader with a shade of dejection. He made up somewhat with a birdie on the 15th.Mohd. Islam has memories of playing the BGC over a decade ago. He actually won the Wills Open here in 1990 as a strapping 28 year old.
"I feel really good playing this course," said the Patna Golf Club pro. "The course might have changed now but one of my two wins on the Amby Valley PGAI Tour came right here. I feel I have a surprise awaiting me this week as well," concluded the now 42-year-old pro.
Islam's round commenced on the first tee and he like Pappan dropped a shot on the second. Thereafter he didn't put one foot wrong reeling off a string of birdies on the third, fifth, seventh, 13th, 15th and 18th for the day's best card, a five-under 65.
Rafiq Ali is thirsting for a win like nobody else could. The Kolkatan will never forget the opening week of the Amby Valley PGAI Tour, where from one stroke behind the leader Mukesh going into the final round, he slipped out of contention after only the second hole after dropping four shots in two holes.
Today Rafiq began with a par-birdie-bogey-birdie sequence to sit at one-under after four holes. Thereafter he played steady golf and aided by two more birdies on the sixth and eighth, finished the day at three-under 67. The 34 year old incidentally won the KGA-Silver Jubilee Open in this very city in 1999.
Srinivas continues in amateur lead: Anand Srinivas returned a second successive round of four-over 74 and at eight-over 148 led by 11 strokes in the amateur field.
SCORES (after 36 holes): 134 Pappan(64,70); 135 Mohd. Islam(70,65), Rafick Ali(68,67); 136 Digvijay Singh(70,66), Rahul Ganapathy(65,71; 137 Harinder Gupta(70,67); 138 Ashok Kumar(72,66), Amit Dube(69,69), Vishal Singh(69,69), Naman Dawar(68,70), Shamim Khan(67,71) Amateurs: 148 Anand Srinivas(74,74); 159 Suresh Mouli(84,75).
More from rediff