SSP Chowrasia continued to be the best Indian at the midway stage of Maybank Malaysian Open, even as former World No. 1 Lee Westwood made good progress towards ending his two-year title drought with a dazzling six-under 66 that gave him a commanding four-shot lead at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club here today.
Chowrasia, who followed up his first round 71 with a 70 in second round was placed 18th and was making his first cut in Malaysia in three years.
"I have some memories of the event, having finished twice in top-20, but last two years have not been great," said Chowrasia.
"So it was nice to cross the first hurdle especially when I am playing well, so it is just a question of hanging in there and play well on the weekend."
Five other Indians made the cut bringing the total to six, even as an equal number of Indian golfer missed the cut.
Rahil Gangjee (74-68) in tied 25th place, Rashid Khan (72-72), Anirban Lahiri (72-72) and Chiragh Kumar (74-70) in tied 47th and Shiv Kapur (76-69) on the cutline at tied 62nd were the other Indians to make the cut.
Missing out on weekend action will be Jyoti Randhawa (76-70), Jeev Milkha Singh (77-71), Digvijay Singh (74-75), Arjun Atwal (75-74) and Gaganjeet Bhullar (75-75) and Himmat Rai (77-77).
Chowrasia opened the second day with a double bogey on par-4 first, but steadied himself with eight straight pars and then birdied four times on the back nine. He birdied the 10th, 14th, 16th and 18th.
Gangjee, who bogeyed the second, hit a purple patch between third and ninth, where he birdied five times. With a bogey and birdie each on back nine, he carded 68.
Kapur gave himself a few anxious moments as he bogeyed the ninth, his final hole and then waited to see if he had made the cut, which he did on the line with a 69.
Westwood, winner of the event in 1997, tightened his grip in the USD 2.75 million championship with eight birdies for a 13-under-par 131 total to lead from Filipino Antonio Lascuna, who carded the day's low score of 65, and Ryder Cup star Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium, who fired a 69.
