Anirban Lahiri went through contrasting emotions on a challenging Le National at the Alstom Open de France when he finished the first round at two-under 69 and then carded a very disappointing 77 in the second.
It left him hanging at four-over 146 and he was on the danger line for the cut, which will be decided late today evening.
Lahiri, winner of the Malaysian Open and the Hero Indian Open, had a dream start of five-under for his front nine, but then had a disappointing finish to the first round late on Thursday as he added a bogey and a double bogey on back nine to finish at 69. The top 65 and ties will make the cut.
Today starting early on the tenth, he had a nightmarish first nine, which was the back nine of the course.
He 11th and 13th and then simply collapsed with bogeys on 15th, 16th and 17th and then crashed to a double on 18th for a four-hole stretch that saw him drop five shots. Then when he bogeyed the second, he was eight-over for 12 holes on second day. Yet he picked up birdies on fifth and seventh to give him an outside chance of hanging in for the weekend.
Shiv Kapur, who had two holes left to play from his first day, ended the first round with 75 and then shot the same score in the second round and at eight-over the week is certainly over for him very early.
Jeev Milkha Singh, whose first 76 included quadruple bogey 8 on par-4 17th, was two-under for three holes in second. Then he dropped three shots between seventh and 10th holes and slipped down to six-over for the tournament with eight more holes to play.
On the first day, Bernd Wiesberger of Austria, Victor Dubuisson of France and Jaco Van Zyl of South Africa were the clubhouse leaders with cards of three-under 68 each. When the first round ended today morning, Rafa Cabrera-Bello joined them.
Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, a three-time Asian Tour number one, and Scott Hend of Australia, a six-time Asian Tour winner, finished day one on matching 70s.
After storms disrupted play on Thursday, 42 players had to return early the following day.
