Hidalgo, Luiten, Meronk & Detry Share Lead in Delhi

• Ángel Hidalgo, Joost Luiten and Adrian Meronk share the clubhouse lead at the DP World India Championship.
• Thomas Detry is also T1, with his second round unfinished when darkness halted play.
• Daniel Hillier’s second-round 64 is the lowest score of the week so far.

Ángel Hidalgo, Joost Luiten and Adrian Meronk share the clubhouse lead on 8-under at the top of a crowded leaderboard after day two of the DP World India Championship at Delhi Golf Club.

Nearly five hours were lost to storms on Thursday’s opening day, leaving some players facing 36 holes on Friday. Conditions were perfect for the catch-up. Luiten played more golf than either of his co-leaders, covering 34 holes in 6-under par with rounds of 68 and 68. Hidalgo matched those two 68s across 31 holes, and Meronk also played 31 holes, adding one more birdie to his opening round before following up with a 69.

All three arrive in form, with the DP World Tour Play-Offs approaching and the top-70 in the Race to Dubai starting at the Abu Dhabi Championship. Hidalgo finished second at the FedEx Open de France last month, which earned him a place in The 155th Open at St Andrews. Luiten was sixth at the BMW PGA Championship and 13th in Madrid last week. Meronk, meanwhile, is a fortnight removed from victory at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, a result that lifted him from 141st to 38th in the rankings.

Meronk’s only blemish comes late

The Pole held the solo lead in round two after birdies on the 14th, 17th, first and eighth. He then dropped his first shot of the week at the 9th, his final hole.

“It was a lot of solid golf,” he said. “I’m happy with my position. Obviously a little bit disappointed with the bogey on the last, but it’s still a good round and I’m happy with the day of work.

“It suddenly feels like I’m gaining the momentum, the confidence is growing and it’s a great feeling. Just when you really can trust your golf game, when you hit shots to your targets, it’s just so much fun.

“I think finally, yeah, the game is in a good spot and I am just trying to enjoy it and play to my spots and keep on going.”

Luiten recovers from a double

Luiten also reached 9-under, through three birdies in a row from the 13th and further gains on the 18th and 2nd. A double bogey on the 8th cost him the outright lead, but the Dutchman holed from 14 feet on the 9th to finish.

“It was good for 17 holes, and then my 17th, the 8th hole, I double bogey, which normally you would say it’s a birdie hole,” said Luiten.

“I’m hitting a little bit better the ball. Last year I play super good from the tee but I couldn’t hole a putt and I played terrible from the fairway. This year everything is quite okay, so that’s why we are there and it’s the biggest difference from a last year.”

Detry and Chacarra still out on the course

Belgium’s Thomas Detry, one of three players a shot behind first-round leader Niklas Nørgaard on Thursday, finished his opening round that day. He birdied the 1st, 2nd and 5th in round two to join the leaders on 8-under before darkness ended play.

Eugenio Chacarra is on 7-under through five holes of his second round. The Spaniard, second in Madrid last week, needs a result here that could take him to the top of the Race to Dubai Rankings on Sunday.

Pepperell’s marathon day

England’s Eddie Pepperell and Todd Clements sit a shot off the lead on 7-under. Pepperell, 100th in the rankings and needing a good week to strengthen his chances of a full card for next season, signed for rounds of 71 and 66 across his 36-hole day. He had made the cut on the number at the Open de España last week. Clements played 31 holes and posted rounds of 69 and 68.

New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier was 4-over after 13 holes of his first round, then turned it around with a 64 in round two, the lowest score of the week so far. He is on 6-under alongside South African pair Thriston Lawrence and JC Ritchie, Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen and the UAE’s Adrian Otaegui.

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DP World India Championship Leaderboard