Amsterdam: Shiv Kapur moved into a solid position to make a bid to end his seven-year title drought and also win his first European Tour title, as he added a three-under 67 to his first round of 67 to come to six-under after two days at the KLM Open.
Kapur was five shots behind the leader, Graeme Storm (66) followed by his first round 63 with another masterly performance.
He is now 11-under and three ahead of Gonzalo Fernandez-Casta?o (65) Scott Jamieson (64) and Ryder Cup star Peter Hanson (66), who all eagled the par five 12th hole.
While Storm, bogey free for two days, was three clear of the next pack, as many as 10 players, including Kapur, were within three shots of each other.
Kapur had a bunch of birdies, five to be more precise and two bogeys on fourth and 15th. He birdied the third, sixth, 11th, 12th and 14th. He is now six-under and looking very solid with his game all around.
However, SSP Chowrasia missed the cut with a round of 73 after his first round 69. He birdied the 14th and 18th, but dropped bogeys on sixth, seventh and 10th and a double bogey on 15th, which proved costly.
Kapur was happy with his quick start.
"I was off to a quick start. It was breezy but I birdied the 11th, a tough hole, and then had a another at 12th, a par-five and when I had a third birdie on 14th, I was three-under through six holes."
"Obviously, there are a few tough holes (he bogeyed the 15th) but 67 was pretty good. I hung in well. I have always liked this golf course and in the past I have been at the business end of leaderboard after couple of days, but not converted it. Twice I have been in the lead group here in the past. Hopefully it will be third time lucky."
"I am very thankful to the organisers to have given me an invite. I like the golf course here and I like tree-lined courses, because the DGC, where I grew up playing, is like this," he added.
But he quickly laughed and added, "But on the 18th, I could not get past the ladies tee. It was embarrassing as I hit a tree and it rocketed back."
Kapur still managed a par at the par-5 18th.
Storm, who was 41st in last week`s Omega European Masters, is 114th on The Race to Dubai. He birdied the third, 11th, 15th and 18th.
"It makes a change to have all red on my card," he said.
"Hopefully I used all the bogeys up last week in Crans and long may it continue."
Apart from Hanson in joint second place, Europe`s two other Ryder Cup players remain in contention.
Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts carded a flawless 65 to move to five under par, six shots off the lead, while former World Number One Martin Kaymer, carded a 71 to sit a further shot back on four under par, the same score as defending champion Simon Dyson, who went round in 66.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, September 08, 2012, 14:02