Hero Indian Open 2026: Chacarra takes control at halfway stage; Chouhan shines as best Indian

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Gurugram, March 27: Defending champion Eugenio Chacarra surged into the lead at the halfway stage of the Hero Indian Open 2026, carding a steady second-round 69 to move to eight-under-par and take control at the DLF Golf and Country Club on Friday (March 27).

After an opening 67, Chacarra once again showcased composure and class on one of the toughest layouts on tour. While his celebrations were more subdued compared to Day 1, his consistency stood out as he continued to build momentum.

"It's been a great two days... my ball striking has been outstanding," Chacarra said, admitting his putting hasn't quite clicked yet despite leading the field.

South Africa's Casey Jarvis produced the round of the day - a sensational eight-under 64 - to jump to second at seven-under, while compatriot MJ Daffue climbed to third at six-under after a solid 67.

Overnight leader Freddy Schott slipped slightly after a one-over 73 but remained firmly in contention at five-under heading into the weekend.

"One over here is not that bad... just couldn't hole the putts," Schott said, reflecting on a tougher second round.

Chasing pack builds pressure

England's Alex Fitzpatrick and Denmark's Jacob Skov Olesen were among those in contention at five-under, although several players were yet to complete their rounds when play was suspended due to fading light.

A total of 31 players will return early on Saturday (March 28) to finish their second rounds after play was called off at 6:37 pm.

Indian golfers: Chouhan leads fightback, Manoj impresses

On the home front, Om Prakash Chouhan emerged as the standout Indian performer on Day 2. The experienced campaigner followed up his opening 73 with a composed one-under 71 to climb 18 spots into T23, positioning himself strongly to make the cut.

Youngster Manoj S delivered the best round of the day among Indians, carding a two-under 70 to move to T41 after an opening 76, ensuring he also stayed above the projected cut line.

However, it was another challenging day for several high-profile names. Shubhankar Sharma, Rayhan Thomas, Saptak Talwar and Yuvraj Singh Sandhu had struggled in the opening round and faced an uphill task to recover.

Akshay Bhatia's rollercoaster continues

Akshay Bhatia showed resilience after his disappointing opening 77. Starting his second round with a bogey, it initially appeared another difficult day awaited him.

However, Bhatia responded in style with five birdies between holes 2 and 9, briefly threatening a charge up the leaderboard. Just as momentum built, a bogey and a double bogey on the 10th and 14th halted his progress, leaving him at four-over and hovering around the projected cut line.

With two holes still to complete, Bhatia's fate remained uncertain, underlining the unforgiving nature of the DLF course.

Day 2 Leaderboard

A stern test continues

The DLF Golf and Country Club once again proved to be a relentless test, with firm greens, tricky pin positions and punishing rough ensuring that consistency remained elusive for many in the field.

As the tournament heads into the weekend, Chacarra holds the advantage, but with a packed leaderboard and unfinished rounds, the battle for the title remains wide open.