Overnight leader Saatvic stays on top of his game, opens up four-shot lead in Pune

Barring two poor shots off the tee, overnight leader Saatvic Kumar Singh stayed on top of his game in Wednesday’s second round of the IGU Western India Junior Boys Golf Championship at the Oxford Golf Resort in Pune.

Saatvic followed up his opening-round 68 with a gritty three-under 69 on a sweltering day, building a four-shot lead with a two-day total of seven-under 137. Shaurya Dagar, who shot a sizzling six-under 66, climbed from overnight 16^th spot to share second place at three-under 141 with Vihaan Jain (69) and Ayan Dubey (72).

Hyderabad teen golfer Saatvic Kumar Singh takes a slender one-shot lead in Pune

Saatvic, who started on the 10^th tee, had three birdies and a bogey on the 13^th hole, where he found the woods on the right and duly ended up dropping a shot. On his second nine, he picked up shots on the first, sixth and ninth holes.

The 14-year-old Hyderabadi dropped a shot on the fourth hole, finding the left hazard off the tee and carding a bogey-six after a penalty drop. The only other blemish came on the seventh, which he three-putted from 13 feet.

Defending champion Shashank Sachin Gadre shot a second straight 71 to stay five shots behind the leader.

In Category ‘C’ (11-12 years), Kabir Goyal (71) took a slender one-shot lead over Sohraab Singh Talwar (70) with a two-day aggregate of even-par 144.

Leading scores (after 36 holes): Category ‘A’ & ‘B’ combined: 137: Saatvic Kumar Singh (68, 69); 141: Shaurya Dagar (75, 66), Vihaan Jain (72, 69), Ayan Dubey (69, 72); 142: Varish Mohta (72, 70), Shashank Sachin Gadre (71, 71), Nilofer Sivamoorthy (72, 70).

Category ‘C’ (11-12 years): 144: Kabir Goyal (73, 71); 145: Sohraab Singh Talwar (75, 70); 148: Drona Singh Dhull (73, 75); 150: Shan Alvi (78, 72); 151: Vivaan Singh (80, 71).