Reigning Champion Yuvraj Singh Sandhu of Chandigarh maintained his one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the SERVO Masters 2022 after he returned a determined two-under 70 at the Digboi Golf Links.

Order of Merit leader Sandhu (63-70), a 10th tee starter on Thursday, made yet another promising start with an early birdie. The Chandigarh golfer had his share of bad luck when he stumbled with a bogey on the next hole where he found the hazard. A double bogey followed when he found the ball plugged in the bunker behind a tree.

Sandhu, a four-time winner on the PGTI this year, bounced back with a birdie before the turn and then had a solid second nine where he made an 18-footer putt for an eagle and another birdie on a bunker recovery.

Yuvraj said, “When I started off today my body was a little sore on account of playing on a trot.  Hence, I was struggling with my ball striking. I am sure a couple of hours rest after today’s round will help me  to recover fully for my round tomorrow.

“Adhering to my game plan coupled with my self-belief helped me to play a decent round. The eagle putt on the seventh hole and a birdie on 9th were game changers and a confidence-booster

“I do feel comfortable playing at this course based on my experience from last year. At the same time, I would say that it’s easy to find trouble here, hence, it is important to  know which side to miss the green.”

Sharma, a runner-up on the PGTI this year, had a terrific back nine that included an eagle and three birdies to stake a claim for the lead. He drove the par-4 14th green to set up an eagle-two and drained a 15-footer. He also set up two tap-in birdies. Sharma’s putter then went cold, and he dropped a shot to open his second nine and couldn’t convert further birdie opportunities. Arjun also had a bogey when his drive landed in the hazard. Arjun said, “I’ve played the tougher back nine better on both days