Italian Open: Shubhankar Sharma makes cut comfortably, lies 19th; Pavon leads field

Rome [Italy], May 6 : Indian ace Shubhankar Sharma made the cut with a round of 4-under 67 that included a hole-in-one at the Italian Open. The 67 was a welcome round after his 73 in the first round as he comfortably made the cut, which was a relief as he had missed four cuts in the last six starts despite playing well in patches.

Sharma at 2-under for 36 holes is now Tied-19th while Manu Gandas (71-80) had a rough time and missed the cut.

The highlight of Sharma's day was a hole-in-one on the 17th. He hit his 5-Iron on the 217-yard hole and it brought him his first ace after a few albatrosses in the past.

Sharma started the second round from the tenth with bogeys on the first and second holes. He recovered with three birdies in a row from the 12th to the 14th and found a hole-in-one on the 17th. A birdie on Par-4 fifth saw him get to 4-under for the day and 2-under for the tournament and he was Tied-19th at the end of the round.

Pavon followed up his first-day heroics of 8-under 63 with 1-under 70 and stayed in the lead at 9-under at the halfway stage. He began his second round in style with three birdies in a row from 11th to 13th but bogeys on 14th and 17th and then one more on eighth saw him drop back. He finished with a birdie on the ninth for a 70.

Pavon made a hat-trick of birdies on the 11th, 12th and 13th but carded three bogeys - on the 14th, 17th and eighth - before getting his next birdie at the ninth.

Julien Guerrier and Adrian Otaegui were his nearest challengers on seven under. Guerrier made five birdies and three bogeys in his 69, while Otaegui notched an eagle, five birdies and three bogeys as he signed for a 67.

The crowds at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club were treated to two aces on the second day as Thriston Lawrence won a brand new DS 4 car at the seventh with a hole-in-one after Shubhankar Sharma made a hole-in-one on the par-three 17th.