Nachimuthu digs deep to make second round

Seasoned campaigners R. Nachimuthu and Airil Rizman Zahari had to dig deep to secure their places in the second round of PGM Tour’s I&P Match Play Championship.

Last year’s runner-up Nachimuthu was run close by youngster Brandon Lau before prevailing 2-up at the Kinrara Golf Club yesterday.

Airil, the 2014 PGM Player of the Year, also struggled to pip unheralded Nick Ang 1-up.

The match play format is certainly not Airil’s cup of tea as he suffered a shocking first-round exit in last year’s championship as the top seed.

Nachimuthu, who has yet to win a title this year, faces John Pang next while Airil has veteran P. Gunasegaran standing in his way.

Gunasegaran showed that even at 53 he can still hack it by ousting Nicholas Pua 3&2.

What Guna can do, so can 61-year-old M. Ramayah as the veteran stole the limelight by sending Azman Basharuddin packing 1-up.

Top seed Nicholas Fung thumped S. Tamilchelvan 5&3 to set up second-round clash with last year’s quarter-finalist Farid Rashid.

Ben Leong, fresh from lifting the Impian Closed Championship crown, saw off Danish Azhari with a resounding 7&6 victory. Ben faces a tricky tie against rising star Low Khai Jei today.

Tournament favourite Nicholas Fung, who defeated S.Tamilchelvan 5&3, also progressed.