Day of 30-odd holes for leaders at the DP World India Championship

New Delhi: Rains causing a nearly five-hour delay on the first day impacted the second day's play at the DP World India Championship golf, leaving players tired, exhausted and a bit spaced-out.

Four players -- Angel Hidalgo, Adrian Meronk, Joost Luiten and Thomas Detry -- shared the clubhouse lead at the end of the second day's play with Detry yet to play 12 more holes to finish his second round.

Hidalgo, Meronk and Luiten (top pic), however, had to go through the grind as they had to make up for the truncated first day -- the former two playing 32 holes each on Friday and Luiten forced to go through 34 holes. That they didn't lose sanity and came out on top after all that showed the form they were in.

"It's pretty tight. I played 31 (32) holes with this weather and this tight course. Happy with the way I'm playing these two rounds," said Hidalgo after play on Friday.

The Spaniard returned similar scores -- of four-under -- in both the rounds to keep the consistency going.

Hidalgo was here last year too but messed up due to below-par putting. This year, he says, things are moving fine.

Angel Hidalgo in action at the Delhi Golf Club

"I'm hitting a little bit better the ball. Last year I play super good from the tee but I couldn't hole a putt and I played terrible from the fairway. This year everything is quite okay, so that's why we are there and it's the biggest different from a last year," added Hidalgo.

Adrian Meronk, on the other hand, carded three-under following a five-under in Round 1, to also take a share of the lead. He toiled hard too.

"Very long day. I'm just glad it's over to be honest. I'm knackered. But, yeah, it was a lot of solid golf. 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, yeah," added Meronk.

Adrian Meronk uses his iron to hit the ball

However, it was Joost Luiten who caught everyone's fancy. The Dutch golfer, who left football at the age of 14 to play golf as he wanted to focus on an individual sport, was cruising along with 9-under till the 7th hole -- his 16th of second round. But then he got a double bogey on the penultimate hole before rising back into lead, albeit joint, with a birdie on the ninth and final hole.

"It was good for 17 holes, and then my 17th, the 8th hole, I double bogey, which normally you would say it's 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," said Luiten.

Among the Indians, Om Prakash Chauhan could complete only two holes and returned even par. He remained four-under but slipped to tied 17th.

Anirban Lahiri, who had to play 31 holes on the day and looked knackered, was tied 46th with an overall score of 1-under.

"I am a bit disappointed. I should have been four or five-under. But it was a long day today. I played 31 holes," said Lahiri.

Tags : Golf, DP World, Angel Hidalgo, Adrian Meronk, Joost Luiten, Thomas Detry