Angel Hidalgo, Joost Luiten, and Adrian Meronk share the clubhouse lead at eight under par after a gruelling second day at the weather-affected India Championship at the Delhi Golf Club in New Delhi. The DP World Tour event has been playing catch-up after nearly five hours were lost to storms on the opening day, forcing several players to tackle 36 holes on Friday.

Leaderboard at a Glance

Luiten was the busiest among the three co-leaders, completing 34 holes on Friday with matching rounds of 68-68. Meronk and Hidalgo each faced 31 holes on the day. Belgian Thomas Detry, who birdied three of his first six holes in round two, joined the trio at the top of the leaderboard. English pair Todd Clements and Eddie Pepperell sat one shot adrift at seven under. More than half the field had yet to complete round two, with 12 players still to tee off in the second round.

Indian Hopes: Chouhan Leads Domestic Charge

Om Prakash Chouhan, who earned his place on the DP World Tour in 2024 after topping the PGTI Tour Order of Merit in 2023, remained the best-placed Indian in the field. After a first-round 68, he had played just two holes — both pars — in the second round and was provisionally tied 17th. Two-time DP World Tour winner Anirban Lahiri carded rounds of 70-73 to sit tied 46th, alongside Saptak Talwar, who posted a 71 in round one and was level par through seven holes in his second round.

Leaders in Form as Play-Offs Approach

All three co-leaders arrive at the India Championship carrying strong late-season momentum ahead of the DP World Tour Play-Offs. Meronk, who recently claimed the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, birdied the 14th, 17th, 1st, and 8th holes before dropping his first shot of the week on the 9th. 'It was a lot of solid golf,' Meronk 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, and I'm happy with the day of work.'

Luiten surged to nine under with a hat-trick of birdies from the 13th and further gains on the 18th and 2nd, before a double-bogey on the 8th pulled him back to eight under. He recovered immediately with a birdie from 14 feet on the next. 'It was good for 17 holes, and then my 17th, the 8th hole, I double-bogeyed, which normally you would say is a birdie hole. 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 9th,' Luiten said.

Hidalgo, whose recent runner-up finish at the FedEx Open de France secured his spot in the play-offs, birdied the 1st, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 14th holes and closed with a birdie after recovering from a double. 'Pretty good. Especially on this course. It's pretty tight. I played 31 holes with this weather and this tight course. Pretty happy with the way I'm playing these two rounds, looking forward to seeing the weekend,' he said.

Race to Dubai Sub-Plot

Eugenio Chacarra was also at seven under through five holes in his second round. A strong finish over the weekend could lift Chacarra to the summit of the Race to Dubai Rankings — adding a compelling sub-plot to the final two rounds. The weekend promises a tightly packed leaderboard once all players complete their second-round cards.