Daijiworld Media Network - Lucerne
Lucerne, Jun 6: Indian golfer Veer Ahlawat produced a stunning bogey-free round of 10-under 61 to surge into a share of the halfway lead at the Swiss Challenge in Switzerland.
Competing on an invitation at Golf Sempach, Ahlawat shattered the course record with a flawless display to move to 12-under-par after two rounds. He shares the top spot with England’s Matthew Southgate, with both players holding a one-shot advantage heading into the weekend.
The 30-year-old Indian, who enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2024 with a runner-up finish at the Hero Indian Open and the DP World PGTI Order of Merit title, delivered one of the finest rounds of his professional career.
Starting on the front nine, Ahlawat quickly found his rhythm with birdies on the second, third and fourth holes before adding another on the seventh to make the turn at four-under. He then caught fire on the back nine, reeling off six consecutive birdies from the 12th hole onwards to race up the leaderboard.
A closing par on the 18th sealed a remarkable 61, one of the lowest scores recorded on the HotelPlanner Tour this season and the new course record at Golf Sempach.
Speaking after the round, Ahlawat said he was pleased with both his ball-striking and overall execution.
“I struck the ball really well throughout the day and managed to convert several birdie opportunities. Everything felt under control,” he said.
The Indian golfer credited his aggressive strategy off the tee for creating numerous scoring chances and indicated he would maintain the same approach over the final two rounds.
Southgate matched Ahlawat’s total after carding a bogey-free 64, while George Bloor and Mathieu Decottignies-Lafon sit one shot behind the leaders.
Elsewhere, the other Indian contenders failed to make the cut. Arjun Prasad finished at even par after rounds of 70 and 72, while Saptak Talwar recovered from an opening 74 with a second-round 70. Both missed the cut line, which was set at three-under par.
With 36 holes remaining, Ahlawat is now firmly in contention for what could be one of the most significant victories of his career and another milestone in his rise on the international golf circuit.