Nachimuthu five strokes behind overnight leader Arvidsson

PETALING JAYA: Veteran R. Nachimuthu battled to a second round one-under 71 to lie five shots adrift of overnight leader Oskar Arvidsson of Sweden at the RM200,000 PGM Labuan Championship.

The 47-year-old Nachimuthu, who began the Asian Development Tour (ADT) co-sanctioned tournament with a 69, signed his scorecard with four birdies and three bogeys at the Labuan International Golf Club yesterday.

Nachimuthu is tied for third with American Blake Snyder on four-under 140 total – two shots behind second-placed Choo Tze Huang of Singapore.

High-flying youngster Sharifuddin Ariffin also stayed in the mix after carding a 68 to be joint fifth with South African Mathiam Keyser on 141.

The 17-year-old, who won his maiden PGM Tour crown at the Tiara Melaka Closed Championship last month, could have done better had he not dropped shots in the later stages.

Starting from the 10th tee, Shahrifuddin collected four birdies and an eagle on the par-five 14th.

But he gave away two strokes after bogeying the fourth and eighth.

Arvidsson started promisingly with a birdie on the second, but dropped three shots on the sixth, seventh and ninth.

He fought back with four birdies in his inward-nine for a 70 and 135 total – giving him a three-shot lead over Tze Huang.