DP World India Championship: Three-way tie at top as Chouhan leads Indian challenge

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(L-R) Adrian Meronk, Joost Luiten and Angel Hidalgo share the lead at DP World India Championship. (DP World)With nearly five hours lost to storms on the opening day, the DP World India Championship continued to play catch-up on Friday.Angel Hidalgo, Joost Luiten and Adrian Meronk shared the clubhouse lead at the top of a congested leaderboard, while Om Prakash Chouhan was the best-placed Indian at tied 17th when play was suspended at the Delhi Golf Club. Chouhan, as well as Anirban Lahiri and Saptak Talwar – tied 46th – remained in contention to make the cut.The second round will resume on Saturday, with the cut expected to be decided in the afternoon. More than half the field was yet to complete its second round, while 12 players were yet to tee off.Luiten played the most among the leaders, tackling 34 holes for rounds of 68 and 68 to get to eight under. Meronk and Hidalgo both played 31 holes. Meronk was five under through four holes at the end of the opening day but added just one more birdie in the first round before following up with a 69. Hidalgo joined Luiten at eight under with rounds of 68 and 68.Belgium’s Thomas Detry birdied three of his first six holes in the second round to move alongside the leaders, a shot clear of English pair Todd Clements and Eddie Pepperell.Meronk held the solo lead on Friday but dropped his only shot of the week so far on the ninth.“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.”Story continues below this adLuiten also reached nine under after a hat-trick of gains from the 13th and further birdies on the 18th and second. He then made a double bogey on the eighth but bounced straight back with a birdie from 14 feet on the ninth.“It was good for 17 holes, and then my 17th, the eighth hole, I double-bogeyed, which normally you would say it’s a birdie hole,” Luiten said. “I think the long day and the tiredness just got to me a bit at the end, and luckily I could get a birdie on the ninth.”