Lahiri falters, Perez in lead
Kuala Lumpur, Oct. 13: Anirban Lahiri and SSP Chawrasia faced contrasting fortunes in the closing stages, even as the threat of lightning forced a four- hour stoppage on the second day of the CIMB Classic.
Lahiri, lying tied 8th overnight dropped to tied 23rd after a round of 73, while Chawrasia, lying close to the bottom after 16 holes in the second, picked himself with two closing birdies for a 71. Chawrasia is now tied 45, almost the same where he had started.
Lahiri’s 73 was his first over- par round in the last 14 rounds at TPC Kuala Lumpur, a period during which he won the Malaysian Open and finished tied 3rd at 2016 CIMB.
Pat Perez, making his fifth appearance at CIMB, turned in a solid seven- under 65 with eight birdies against one bogey to move into sole lead at 13- under. Perez had four birdies in a row from second to sixth and added two more on eighth and ninth for an incredible six- under second nine after starting from the 10th.
Chasing Perez was Xander Schauffele, who carded another fine round of 67, that included an eagle, a par, a birdie and a bogey in a four- hole stretch from third to sixth. He moved him to 12- under and sole second.
“It was one of those days, when things just didn’t happen after that good start,” said Lahiri.
Lahiri had just the kind of a start he would have wanted with a birdie on the first and another one ready to be holed on second. That’s when play was stopped and did not resume till four hours later. When it did, Lahiri missed mulitple opportunities and finished at 73.
Hideki Matsuyama ( 68), the highest ranked player in the field at No. 3 in the world, was tied 8th at six- under.