Veer Ahlawat doubles down with another 65 to lead CIDCO Open by three

Veer Ahlawat fired a second straight six-under 65 to open up a three-shot lead after round two of the INR 1 crore CIDCO Open 2025, the first-ever professional event at Kharghar Valley Golf Course (KVGC) in Navi Mumbai.

The 2024 PGTI Order of Merit champion matched his own course record from day one for a 12-under 130 total at halfway, stretching his overnight advantage by one. Italy’s Michele Ortolani carded a bogey-free five-under 66 to move into solo second at nine-under 133, while American Koichiro Sato sits third at seven-under 135.

The cut was fixed at four-over 146, with 51 professionals advancing to the weekend. Ahlawat, who led by two after round one, produced seven birdies and a lone bogey on Thursday, again using his length to pick off all four par-5s and adding a 20-foot birdie conversion plus two tap-ins.

“I hit a lot of good tee shots and approaches and I’ve been executing my plans well,” said the DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurugram pro. “I capitalized on the scoring opportunities on the par-5s and shorter par-4s and kept the rhythm going from round one. The course played a little longer this morning, but with no wind there were more chances, and a big par-save on 18 was a nice way to finish.”

Photo – PGTI