Gangjee takes lead in Japan, Sandhu gets hole-in-one

Defending champion Rahil Gangjee moved into sole lead at the Panasonic Open Golf Championship with a flawless eight-under 63 while Ajeetesh Sandhu climbed to tied sixth here on Friday.

Sandhu holed an ace and then parred the next six before snatching a final birdie on way to 66.

Viraj Madappa (74-68) at tied 58th also made the cut, while Shiv Kapur (72-71) was one shot off the projected line at even par with some players yet to finish.

Khalin Joshi (71-73) and S Chikkarangappa (71-75) missed the cut.

As Gangjee went through the day with eight birdies, Sandhu had two birdies against a bogey on front nine and added another birdie on 10th. Then came the ace on 211-yard Par-3 11th hole.

Gangjee zoomed to the top with a 63 that took him to a nine-under total and a one-shot lead at the halfway stage at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club.

Japan's local hero Ryo Ishikawa shot a course record-tying 62 to move into second place alongside countryman Shugo Imahira (69), Korea's Sanghee Lee (67) and Lu Wei-chih (69) of Chinese Taipei on eight-under-par 134.

"Yesterday I was trying hard to stay patient. I just wanted to finish under-par and it was nice to finish with that eagle (on Day1). I had a good feeling coming back today.

I know the birdies are there. You just need to go get them," Gangjee said.

"I started holing putts today and the birdies just kept coming and then I lost track of it. It's nice to lose track once in a while. Putting was the main difference but I hit it pretty good too," added Gangjee, who was tied 10th at Fujisankei Classic and tied 18th at Shinhan Donghae Open in his last two starts.

Gangjee ended a 14-year title drought at this same event last year. He hit 10 of the 14 fairways, reached 15 greens in regulation and needed 25 putts as compared to 29 on the first day.

Gangjee was in great nick from the start as he birdied second and third and added two more on eighth and ninth to turn in four-under.

A fifth birdie on Par-5 was followed by three more on 14th, 15th and 17th. The only Par-5 he failed to convert was the 18th and yet he moved into the lead with a bogey-free card.