K.J. Choi, the stalwart South Korean golfer, mesmerised the field at Carnoustie with another stellar three-under-par round of 69, catapulting himself into the lead at The Senior Open.
Despite the blustery conditions that greeted the early birds at Carnoustie Golf Links, Choi’s patience and prowess shone through, landing him at six under par and two strokes ahead of the overnight leader, Stephen Ames.
At 54 years young, Choi, who spent 40 weeks nestled comfortably within the top ten of the Official World Golf Ranking, demonstrated why he remains a formidable competitor.
His front nine was a balanced dance of one bogey against two birdies, but it was the back nine where he truly dazzled.
A birdie-eagle combo on the 11th surged him ahead, and though a bogey on the par-three 13th momentarily clipped his wings, he bounced back with a birdie on the 15th.
A bogey on the final hole echoed his previous day’s finish, yet he remains six under after 36 holes.
Meanwhile, Canadian Stephen Ames, still on the hunt for his first Senior Major, maintained his grip on the competition with a level-par round of 72, positioning himself at four under.
Ames’ steady mix of one birdie and one bogey kept him in second place, just ahead of Australia’s Richard Green and Ireland’s Pádraig Harrington.
Harrington’s round of 70, featuring four birdies, showcased his resilience and skill.
Spain’s Miguel Angel Martin held firm in fifth place at two under, repeating his first-round performance.
The round of the day, however, belonged to India’s Arjun Atwal, who fired a sensational four-under 68, spurred by five birdies in six holes from the tenth.
Atwal shares sixth place with a cadre of seasoned pros, including former champions Paul Broadhurst and Darren Clarke, all sitting at one under.
