Bengaluru, August 10: Young Thai talent Danthai Boonma got off to a flying start with seven consecutive birdies from the first before signing for a scintillating 10-under-par 61 to grab a five-shot halfway lead at the US$350,000 TAKE Solutions Masters on Friday.

The 22-year-old Thai, who opened with a flawless 66, stayed blemish-free by nailing 10 birdies to take his place atop the leaderboard with a 15-under-par 127 total.

He would have matched the lowest 36-hole score and marked the largest 36-hole lead on Tour this season if not for the preferred lies in play.  

Asian Tour newcomer Miguel Carballo of Argentina posted a second straight 66 to share second place with Maverick Antcliff of Australia, who signed for a 65, at the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) Golf Course.

Bengaluru-native Chikkarangappa S. fired a 64 to emerge as the highest-placed Indian in fourth place on 133 while compatriot S.S.P. Chawrasia rediscovered some of his best form after carding a 65 to stay a further shot back in fifth.

Overnight leader Thammanoon Sriroj of Thailand slipped to tied-eighth place on 136 after stumbling to a 74 while countryman and defending champion Poom Saksansin grabbed a share of 25th place following a 67.

The halfway cut was set at one-under-par 141 with a total of 69 players, including two local amateurs, progressing into the weekend rounds at the TAKE Solutions Masters, which is celebrating its second straight edition on the Asian Tour this week.

Did you know?

• Danthai Boonma made his Major debut at The Open at Carnoustie last month. He earned the coveted spot after finishing tied-fourth at the SMBC Singapore Open earlier in January, which was part of The Open Qualifying Series. The young Thai, however, failed to make the cut in his first Major after signing for rounds of 78 and 74.
• Despite hitting only six out of 13 fairways, Danthai found 15 greens in total and needed only 23 putts in his solid round of 61, which is his personal best 18-hole score since turning professional in 2015.
• He would have matched the lowest 36-hole score and marked the largest 36-hole lead on Tour this season if not for the preferred lies in play.
• Danthai is a one-time Asian Tour winner. He claimed his breakthrough at the 2015 World Classic Championship in Singapore. Also a one-time winner on the Asian Development Tour where he won the 2016 Boonchu Ruangkit Championship.
• Danthai sits in a current 24th place on the Asian Tour Habitat for Humanity Standings, thanks to three top-10 finishes.
• Danthai is a double gold medalist at the 2012 South East Asia (SEA) Games.

• Miguel Carballo is playing in his first season in Asia. He came through the Qualifying School in his first attempt earlier in January.
• Carballo has notched five top-10s in seven starts on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) so far this season. He sits in fourth place on the current ADT Order of Merit.
• Carballo enjoyed a tied-fifth place finish on the region’s premier Tour at the Asia-Pacific Classic in China in May. He missed three cuts in seven starts on the Asian Tour this season. Needs a strong finish this week to boost his ranking on the Habitat for Humanity Standings where he sits in a current 93rd position.S
• Carballo turned professional in 2002. Hails from Bahia Blanca, Argentina. He is the only Argentinean member on the Asian Tour. Also a former player on the PGA Tour in 2012.
• Maverick Antcliff is a graduate of the 2018 Asian Tour Qualifying School. He enjoyed a tied-fourth place finish in his Asian Tour debut at the Asian Golf Championship in China last year.
• Since earning his Tour card, the 25-year-old Australian has missed only two cuts in eight starts so far this season. His best result was a tied-ninth place finish in Indonesia last month.
• Chikkarangappa S. won the event twice when it was staged on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) in 2014 and 2015.
• Claimed that he has only lost twice in all his past tournaments played at the Karnataka Golf Association Golf Course. The first time was at the amateur event where Khalin Joshi broke the course record in 2012 and the second time at the 2017 TAKE Solutions Masters.

Players’ quotes:

Danthai BOONMA (THA) – Second round 61 (-10), Total 127 (-15)

It’s amazing. It’s my personal best, my first time shooting 10-under-par in my life. I feel very happy and excited. It’s my first time starting the round with seven birdies in-a-row too! It’s just amazing.

On the seventh hole, my ball was on the fringe about 20 feet from the pin. I thought I will try and hit it close and two putts for par but I sank the birdie putt which has two breaks and was downhill. My putter was hot. I told myself to just enjoy the game, stay happy and not think so much. I made a similar putt on the 14 too.

I kept to my routine out there. My putting was very good today. I was able to hit it close as well. I forgot my Buddhist pendant necklace this morning. It’s like my lucky charm so I went back to the hotel to take just 20 minutes before my tee time this morning. Thankfully the hotel is just next to the course.

It’s pretty windy today. Good that I had the experience of playing against the wind at The Open earlier. But obviously the windy conditions here can’t be compared to what it was at Carnoustie. I guess that experience helps as I felt it was easier here and I felt more comfortable playing in the wind here as well.

I just want to enjoy my game tomorrow and not think too much. I’ve been singing this Thai song in my head and I want to continue that tomorrow. It helps calm me down. I will keep smiling and keep it fun out there.

Thammanoon’s five straight birdies yesterday came to my mind this morning but I thought I should just focus on my game. I tried not to think so much out there already, especially after that seven straight birdies. I told myself to stay in it and not get ahead of myself.

It’s been three years since I last won. I definitely want to do it again, especially after coming close a few times this year. But having said that, I don’t want to put so much pressure on myself so I won’t think about it.

Miguel CARBALLO (ARG) – Second round 66 (-5), Total 132 (-10)

I started from the 10th hole and I played solid on my front nine. But back nine wasn’t that good. I made a good eagle on the par-five 11th hole. I hit a driver and then a five-wood to the green and made the eagle putt from about 10 yards.

I made good birdie putts on 14th and 15th too, both from about five yards. This is my second week here in Bengaluru. I played the Asian Development Tour (ADT) event here last week and came in tied-11th. I have been hitting the ball well from tee to green since last week.

I made 28 putts today for the five-under-par 66. I had the same score yesterday too but with 31 putts. Hopefully I can do better tomorrow. This year’s been a great experience for me playing in Asia. It’s my first time playing a full season in Asia and I am happy with how I played so far.

This golf course is similar to what I used to play on the PGA Tour before. It’s in great condition, from the fairways to the bunkers and the rough, it’s very nice. I am very happy to play well in the first two rounds this week. Looking forward to tomorrow.

Going to different countries to play different tournaments and meet new people, I think I am very lucky. I am enjoying myself here. My focus now is to play on the Asian Tour. The competition is stronger in the United States. I have played about 10 years in the States. I thought I needed some new experiences so I came to try out here in Asia.

I am playing very well this year. I have a couple of good finishes on both the Asian Tour and the ADT which is good. Hopefully I can get a win soon. I have no goals to go play on the PGA Tour for now. I want to focus on the Asian Tour and if I play good enough, I will go to the European Tour.

Maverick ANTCLIFF (AUS) – Second round 65 (-6), Total 132 (-10)

I played pretty solid today. It was nice to finish with a birdie on the ninth. I made a bogey there yesterday. I had three birdies in-a-row from the fifth. I hit it just to the left on the par-four sixth and I chipped it in for birdie. I was about a metre off the green and had like 20 feet to the pin.

Conditions were pretty similar compared to yesterday. I was just aiming to hit the fairways and greens. You just need to plot along. I hit a bunch of fairways and greens and tried to stay patient out there. You know you not going to make everything so you just need to hit it close.

I wasn’t really looking at the leaderboard out there. I just thought I was playing alright. I tried to just do my own thing. You can’t really control anyone else. I haven’t really thought about tomorrow. I am pretty hungry now. Looking forward to get a good night’s sleep tonight.

Chikkarangappa S. (IND) – Second round 64 (-7), Total 133 (-9)

I have only lost two events at the KGA golf course. One was the TAKE Solutions Masters last year and the other was when Khalin Joshi shot 10-under-par in an amateur tournament in 2012. Those are the only two times I have lost here.

I started good today. I have actually not been feeling well, yesterday I had some cold and a bad throat. Luckily I had a morning tee off yesterday, and then I had a lot of time to recover, so I did that. Today the body was feeling great.

Overall I played superbly well today and my putting was really amazing. I hit the ball really good. I did a couple of changes just before this event with Mr. Sujith Somasunder from a mental aspect and also with my coach on a couple of things. I would say it was a phenomenal round. 

I made a very good putt on hole number eight. It was a downhill left to right putt. A lot of thoughts were going through my mind, whether it will break or not. It was a muc- needed putt for me to boost myself going forward into the back nine. It was about 15-18 feet.

Everything was going in today, and yesterday nothing went in. Yesterday also I felt I putted really well, but it was just that everything was on the cup or just lipped out. But I knew I was putting really well so I went with the confidence. That’s what I have been on – to forget what happened previously and focus on that particular moment and shot. 

I love playing at home. I have won plenty of events at home and the kind of love and warmth you get from the people of Bangalore, it is really amazing. There is no pressure, they actually cheer you up. It doesn’t matter if you win or you don’t win, they are always there and come out and support you. And I really thank them for that.

I spoke to Anirban Lahiri just a couple of days back. He is feeling solid too. I need to trust myself and have that belief. He told me that you need to go out there and enjoy yourself. And ask yourself how happy you were after the round.

I am so glad and happy to be playing along with SSP tomorrow. Coming into the range I saw SSP up there and I was so happy because I know how he is struggling on the European Tour. But I was so happy to see him shooting those numbers today and that probably also boosted me up going into my second round. He’s an amazing person, we come from similar backgrounds and I really look up to him.

The golf course is playing great. Just that it also has confused a lot of local lads like me because the greens are playing really soft so the ball is spinning a lot. So it is bit difficult for you to judge the spin and how much it is going into spin back.

S.S.P. CHAWRASIA (IND) – Second round 65 (-6), Total 134 (-8)

I had a good round yesterday as well, but today was better as I played bogey free. 

I made quite a few long putts and because of which, my scoring was better today. The new putter seems to be working well. My first long putt was at 12th hole, around 20 feet from outside the green. And then one on hole 16, which was about a 50-feet putt for birdie from outside the green. Then couple of 12 footers at 15th, second and third. Then a 10-footer on the seventh.

I missed a couple out there as well. On the sixth and 10th holes, I missed from within 10 feet and then on the eighth, I missed one around 15 feet. The 2nd shot on the 18th hole was a good save for par. It was a tough shot from the left to right. 

I am looking forward to tomorrow. No pressure as I just want to focus on my own game. This is the first event this year where I have played good golf over the first two rounds. Let’s see what happens in the next two rounds.

My old putter was a centre-shaft and the new one is hinge-shaft. It is a little differently shaped. It is a Odyssey. This is my first week with the new putter. The KGA golf course is always in great condition. For me, it’s ranked one of the top-five courses in India.

My mother was diabetic and she was admitted into the intensive care unit just before I came. But she is better now and that helped me to focus more on the golf. Yes, during the off-time and break between the shots, I was thinking about her but I didn’t let it affect my game.

Aadil Bedi is a great player. He’s just 17 but he is very mature. He was playing good yesterday, and even today he was playing well. He just missed a couple of putts, otherwise he is a great player.

Scores after round 2 of the Take Solutions Masters being played at the par 71, 7074 Yards Karnataka Golf Association course (am – denotes amateur):

127 – Danthai BOONMA (THA) 66-61.

132 – Miguel CARBALLO (ARG) 66-66, Maverick ANTCLIFF (AUS) 67-65.

133 – Chikkarangappa S. (IND) 69-64.

134 – S.S.P CHAWRASIA (IND) 69-65.

135 – Suradit YONGCHAROENCHAI (THA) 66-69, Viraj MADAPPA (IND) 70-65.

136 – Khalin JOSHI (IND) 67-69, Honey BAISOYA (IND) 70-66, Thammanoon SRIROJ (THA) 62-74, Anura ROHANA (LKA) 67-69, Jake MCLEOD (AUS) 67-69, Matt KILLEN (ENG) 68-68.

137 – Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 69-68, Scott VINCENT (ZIM) 66-71, Scott BARR (AUS) 71-66, KOH Deng Shan (SIN) 68-69, Sunit CHOWRASIA (IND) 71-66, Kapil KUMAR (IND) 68-69, Aman RAJ (IND) 69-68, CHOO Tze Huang (SIN) 70-67, Veer AHLAWAT (IND) 69-68, Om Prakash CHOUHAN (IND) 67-70, Pannakorn UTHAIPAS (THA) 69-68.

138 – Syed Saqib AHMED (IND) 70-68, Poom SAKSANSIN (THA) 71-67, Sam CHIEN (USA) 68-70, Karandeep KOCHHAR (IND) 69-69, Harimohan SINGH (am, IND) 69-69, Settee PRAKONGVECH (THA) 67-71.

139 – Ashok KUMAR (IND) 69-70, Aadil BEDI (am, IND) 68-71, Himmat RAI (IND) 69-70, Javier GALLEGOS (ESP) 69-70, Ankur CHADHA (IND) 72-67, Rashid KHAN (IND) 71-68, Mithun PERERA (LKA) 69-70, Marcus BOTH (AUS) 68-71, Chanachok DEJPIRATANAMONGKOL (THA) 69-70.

Ends.

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