A start delayed by 50 minutes on account of rain, which kept coming down the whole morning, alternating between drizzles and heavy downpour, did not help Anirban Lahiri's cause as he was three-over through 14 holes in the second round on Friday. At the damp and soggy Valhalla, Lahiri had four holes left in the second round and with the cut likely at even or maximum one-over, an early exit looks likely for Lahiri.
He went through the front stretch of nine holes in three-over 38 with four bogeys and just one birdie. On the back nine, he birdied the 10th but gave that back on 14th.
The patchy 14 holes brings him to four-over for 32 holes and it will make it extremely difficult for him to turn things around.
It was a rough ride made more difficult by the wet weather, and the putter, barring the third hole, just did not work to the plan. Lahiri's sole bright spot of the gloomy and grey morning was the 16 foot putt he holed for the birdie on par-3 third hole.
Opening with a bogey after hitting his drive into left rough with tall fescue grass, he went into the left rough near greenside and then two putted from 32 feet for the bogey 5. On the second he hit a nice second shot to 10 feet but missed the birdie putt. A birdie did come on the third, but he three-putted from 25 feet for a bogey on fourth. Another bogey followed on sixth, when he went into the greenside bunker with his third and then needed an up and down for a bogey. He dropped another shot on eighth and then parred the ninth to turn in three-over for the day and at four-over for the tournament, he was staring at an earlier than planned return to home.
On a warm and muggy opening day, Lahiri was tied 79thafter first round needing a good second round to ensure an extended stay for the weekend at the 7,458 yard long Valhalla Golf Club.
After starting on the tenth, his big mistake of the day came on the 16th, where he double bogeyed and his lone birdie of the day came on the seventh. He had a terrible pitch, which he left short, but made up with a fine birdie putt.
"It was a struggle out there. I just could not get my putts to fall. I was leaving them short and I didn't have a great day with the irons. Having said that I am happy that I held things together for a 72. I didn't allow frustration or disappointment to get the better of me," said Lahiri.
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