Indian veteran Rahil Gangjee rolled back the years as he carded a second successive 66 to extend his lead to two shots following Round 2 of the PKNS Selangor Masters
Starting on the 10th tee at Kelab Golf Seri Selangor, Gangjee made nine successive pars before catching fire on the home stretch with five birdies against just one bogey. The 45-year-old tops the leaderboard on eight-under-par 132, two shots ahead of Malaysian rookie Marcus Lim who also signed in a second round 66.
Gangjee noted that he was not putting pressure on himself to win the US$175,000 event, which is co-sanctioned by the Asian Development Tour (ADT) and the domestic Toyota Tour, as he only recently returned to action from a seven-week layoff due to a muscular chest injury.
“I last won a title in 2018 at the Panasonic Open in Japan. You want to win every year, no doubt about that, but sometimes it doesn’t happen for various reasons. I’ve had a couple of injuries in the last few years, in 2021 and another two months ago. I’m just glad to be playing golf the way I am. I have no massive expectations right now,” said Gangjee, a two-time Asian Tour winner.
“There’s no pressure to win, but the expectations are always there. I try to draw on my experience to relax and play golf. I know that if I do that, the results will take care of themselves,” added the amiable golfer from Kolkata.
Rookie professional Marcus Lim
Lim meanwhile outshone his more established compatriots to lie second on six-under-par 134 (68, 66), two shots ahead of Thailand’s Kosuke Hamamoto (70, 66). Despite this being his first start as a professional, Lim showed great composure as he nailed six birdies against two dropped shots.
“I was really confident going into the day. I positioned myself well, gave myself a lot of uphill putts and managed to make some, which was good,” said Lim, who recently graduated from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.
“I’m going to stick to the same game plan – stay patient and not rush things, as this golf course is challenging and it punishes aggressive play. I just hope to continue making putts,” added the 22-year-old, who was ranked as Malaysia’s top male amateur before turning professional.
In his final season on the competitive U.S. collegiate circuit, Lim was named the Northeast Conference Golfer of the Year for a third time after claiming medallist honours at the NEC Championship in late April. He won one title on last year’s Toyota Tour as an amateur.
Kosuke meanwhile put himself well in contention with a solid round of 66, moving up to solo third spot on four-under-par 136 (70, 66).
“I’m very happy with my round. It’s a tough course, and anything under par is very exciting. I got into a good rhythm today and converted the opportunities to make birdies, plus a couple of bonus chip-ins. I feel quite tired as this is my third week in a row, so I just want to do my best. This course mentally drains you because you have to think about every shot,” said Kosuke, who is chasing his second ADT title following the 2023 All Thailand Partnership Trophy.
Kosuke Hamamoto of Japan
Thailand’s Sarun Sirithon carded an excellent 67 to surge up the leaderboard into joint fourth position on two-under-par 138 (71, 67), tied with compatriot Sarut Vongchaisit (70, 68) and Singapore’s James Leow (69, 69).
Malaysia’s Amir Nazrin, who is a Seri Selangor ambassador, had a colourful second round of 72 after his opening 67 and is in joint seventh place on one-under-par 139. The 26-year-old rued an unfortunate double bogey on the par-four 17th hole due to a lost ball, but remained positive heading into the final 36 holes.
“It’s just one of those days. I’m still on one-under-par, so I’ll use that as motivation and try to change my course management a bit tomorrow. I’ll probably drive all the way, no laying up,” said Amir.
Also on one-under-par is 2022 champion Shahriffuddin Ariffin, who kept himself in the hunt for a third ADT title by adding a second round 70 to his opening 69. The 24-year-old Malaysian was happy with his performance as he has been struggling with injuries.
“Since the practice round, I’ve been dealing with neck and upper back injuries, which made it hard to execute a proper backswing. Fortunately, I did well with my recovery shots and made some putts, so everything is on the right track at the moment,” said Shahriffuddin.
The top Malaysian this week will take home a RM10,000 bonus in addition to the regular prize money.
Defending champion Ho Yu-Cheng of Chinese Taipei added a second round 73 to his opening 70 for a three-over-par 143 total, making the halfway which came at four-over-par. Current Asian Development Tour Order of Merit leader Ahmad Baig of Pakistan is also through, progressing on the number following rounds of 71 and 73.
Chinese amateur Shijun Jing, who won last week’s Selangor International Junior Golf Championship to earn a start in this event, was grateful for the experience despite missing the cut after rounds of 72 and 74.
“This is my first time playing in a pro tournament abroad and the course is much longer than the tournaments in China. This golf course is difficult, and the green speed is a lot faster. It’s a good experience for me and will be beneficial in the long run,” said the 16-year-old talent from Hainan.
This is the 11th edition of the PKNS Selangor Masters, which is promoted by PKNS Golf Management Services, a subsidiary of the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS). PKNS has been the title sponsor of the event since 2022. Since the tournament’s inception in 2007, it has seen two local winners with Ben Leong triumphing in the second edition and Shahriffuddin emerging victorious in 2022.
With its hefty prize fund of US$175,000, the PKNS Selangor Masters will have a strong bearing on the top 10 players on the final 2024 ADT Order of Merit who will earn coveted Asian Tour cards for the following season.
Leading Round 2 Scores
132 Rahil Gangjee (IND) 66-66
134 Marcus Lim (MAS) 68-66
136 Kosuke Hamamoto (THA) 70-66
138 Sarun Sirithon (THA) 71-67
Sarut Vongchaisit (THA) 70-68
James Leow (SIN) 69-69
130 Runchanapong Youprayong (THA) 67-72
Shahriffuddin Ariffin (MAS) 69-70
Nopparat Panichphol (THA) 70-69
Amir Nazrin (MAS) 67-72
