Ghei is now two strokes behind Day One hero, Jyoti Randhawa, who registered a par round full of ups and downs, to lead the pack at six-under par 134. Giving Ghei company at 136 are Vivek Bhandari and Basad Ali.

Uttam Singh Mundy struck a notable five under par 65, after a two-over par yesterday, to register a sub-par total. The two-time winner of the Honda-Siel PGA championship, Mundy has shown a penchant for big ones and this `major', with it's Rs 2.5 lakh winner's cheque, seems to have whipped his hunger.

Randhawa looked less focused today even for his par round of 70 of the 6189-yard course. The Meerut pro did practically everything he could do on a golf course -- right fromdropping a shot on the very first hole to firing an eagle on the par five four.

``I don't think it was complacency,'' reflected Randhawa, as he went through his card. ``Yesterday's concentration was just missing.'' However, today's hero was Ghei who missed the Rs 1 lakh prize-money for breaking the course record, by a stroke. The Delhi golfer, who last year became the lone Indian to have ever qualified for the British Open, had birdies on the first, second, fourth, 13, 16th and 18th holes.

``Quite unlike yesterday, I was putting really well today,'' noted Ghei, who got married last week. While many attributed his performance today to the new woman in his life, Ghei credited it all to his good friend Vivek Bhandari.

``I had a half-hour putting session with Vivek after my round yesterday,'' revealed Ghei, ``and today's performance is thanks to him''.

In fact, Ghei did little wrong today, though he missed a hole-in-one on the eighth and an air-conditioned Armada with it. His tee-shot on the par-three 195yarder hit the flag and fell two feet off the cup.

Defending champion Feroz Ali of Calcutta did not move much today. The Indian Open winner finished one-under par 69 for a total of 141. Last year's runner-up, Golfer of the Year 1997-98 Lucknow's Vijay Kumar, too had a card of 69 for a total score of one-under par 139.

Arjun Atwal, a regular on the Asian PGA tour, slipped further down going three over par 73. So did Indrajit Bhalotia, winner of last year's Crompton Greaves Matchplay.

Day One's second best scorer Pappan struggled with a card of four over par 74 for a par 140 total. Monish Bindra, last year's Rookie Golfer of the Year, looked in fine stead today at one-under after 13 holes. But that was when his nightmare began as he dropped two shots on the 14th and worsened it with bogeys on 15th, 16th and the last hole.

With bright sunshine since the last two days, and the watering of the fairways having been stopped, some inviting pin positions, 12 under par rounds were recorded today.

Yusuf Ali(three under par 67) and Ranjit Singh (68) recorded remarkable turn around after going eight over par after the first 18 holes. The cut was applied at eight-over par which is one of the best in the city. Among those to miss the cut were SSP Chowrasia and runner-up at the Wills Northern India Open Sanjay Kumar.

Leading Scores (after 36 holes)

134: Jyoti Randhawa (64+70); 136: Basad Ali (68+68), Vivek Bhandari(69+67), Gaurav Ghei (73+63); 137: Uttam Singh Mundy (72+65); 139: Mukesh Kumar (69+70), Vijay Kumar (70+69); 140: Pappan (66+74), Devendra Patel (69+71), Rafiq Ali (71+69); 141: Feroz Ali, Jagdish Angre; 142: Jumman, Rezwan Ali, Amritinder Singh; 143: Prakash Kubde, Rohtas Singh, Arjun Atwal, Monish Bindra, Vishal Singh; 144: Magan Subba Rao, Chini Ali; 145: Indrajit Bhalotia. Mohd Khokhan, Bunty Randhawa, Mohd Islam, Yusuf Ali.