Martin Couvra maintains a one-stroke lead as the Delhi Challenge heads into the weekend, following a stellar five-under-par performance of 67 at Classic Golf & Country Club on day two.
The French golfer, tied for the lead at the beginning of the day, surged ahead with a flawless round, securing five birdies to reach a total of 12 under par for the tournament.
This puts him one stroke ahead of his closest competitor, James Allan from England.
Couvra, who clinched victory at the Challenge de España as an amateur in 2023, is no stranger to leading from the front.
His win in Spain marked him as only the seventh amateur in history to triumph on the Challenge Tour.
Drawing upon this experience, Couvra is poised to vie for his second professional victory over the next two days.
Reflecting on his chances, Couvra stated, “I know that I can win. I just need to maintain positive body language, a winning attitude, and stay focused on my game.
The experience from last year has been invaluable, making it easier for me to navigate the challenges of tour play and adapt to the nuances of each tournament.”
Couvra’s strong start to the 2024 Road to Mallorca season, with a tied-sixth finish at the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open and a solo fourth in the NMB Championship, has positioned him favourably.
Currently sitting at the tenth spot on the Road to Mallorca Rankings, he is optimistic about his performance heading into the back-to-back events in India.
“My game is in excellent shape, and I feel confident playing on this course,” Couvra remarked.
“Given my current form, I aim to capitalize on it and deliver strong performances when it counts.
While I’m pleased to be leading, there are still two rounds to go, so I must remain patient and enjoy the process.”
Meanwhile, Scotland’s Euan Walker made a significant move up the leaderboard, carding seven birdies without a bogey to share the third position with Frenchman Andoni Etchenique at ten under par.
As the competition intensifies, with six players trailing by just one stroke, the stage is set for an exhilarating weekend of golf in Delhi.
Round three is scheduled to commence at 8:00 am local time, with Couvra teeing off alongside Allan and Walker at 11:39 am.
Scores after round two:
132 M COUVRA (FRA) 65 67,
133 J ALLAN (ENG) 66 67,
134 E WALKER (SCO) 69 65, A ETCHENIQUE (FRA) 66 68,
135 C PAISLEY (ENG) 68 67, O GUILLAMOUNDEGUY (FRA) 67 68, J SENIOR (ENG) 66 69, C PURCELL (IRL) 68 67, J PARRY (ENG) 66 69, O LINDELL (FIN) 67 68,
136 J GRENVILLE-WOOD (UAE) 66 70, S BROWN (ENG) 65 71, A PLANT (ENG) 70 66, A LEVY (FRA) 69 67, M OSHRINE (USA) 69 67, A ZEMMER (ITA) 68 68, O FARR (WAL) 68 68, J MOSCATEL (ESP) 67 69, J ZUSKA (CZE) 67 69,
137 P PINEAU (FRA) 66 71, V PASTOR (ESP) 67 70, R KARLBERG (SWE) 66 71, T THURLOWAY (ENG) 70 67, A SHARMA (IND) 68 69, K VAN DER WEELE (NED) 69 68, A CHEEMA (IND) 71 66,
138 D YOUNG (SCO) 67 71, A HALVORSEN (NOR) 69 69, S HUTSBY (ENG) 70 68, L BJERREGAARD (DEN) 71 67, N KRISTENSEN (DEN) 69 69, M AZHAR (IND) 72 66, G HURLEY (IRL) 70 68, L VACARISAS (ESP) 69 69,
139 R GANGJEE (IND) 72 67, B SCHMIDT (ENG) 70 69, H HOPEWELL (AUS) 69 70, R SCIOT-SIEGRIST (FRA) 73 66, S KHAN (IND) 69 70, L KEUNEN (NED) 74 65, H BAISOYA (IND) 71 68, A BEDI (IND) 70 69, C KNIPES (ENG) 67 72, U MANE (IND) 71 68, S SINGH SISODIA (IND) 72 67, T PULKKANEN (FIN) 67 72, J SALE (FRA) 70 69,
140 P BOVARI (ITA) 68 72, S BAISOYA (IND) 69 71, Y CHANDRA MS (IND) 71 69, D FOOS (GER) 70 70, M GIBOUDOT (FRA) 69 71, R DHOLE PATIL (IND) 71 69, J SAINZ (ESP) 69 71, C HOWIE (SCO) 67 73, S DWIVEDI (IND) 71 69, J LAGERGREN (SWE) 74 66, H GANGWAR (IND) 72 68, J GOUGH (ENG) 68 72, M HAMMER (GER) 68 72,
141 F MORY (FRA) 72 69, O CHOUHAN (IND) 71 70, M GANDAS (IND) 70 71, A RAJ (IND) 70 71, J BERRY (ENG) 73 68, R KUMAR (IND) 73 68, M DHARMA (IND) 71 70, T GOUVEIA (POR) 72 69, J MURPHY (IRL) 72 69, S BISHNOI (IND) 70 71, J FREIBURGHAUS (SUI) 70 71, H GUPTA (IND) 71 70, B AKESSON (SWE) 71 70, N VON DELLINGSHAUSEN (GER) 68 73, K PRATAP SINGH (IND) 68 73, J HOSSAIN (BAN) 68 73, B HOSSAIN (BAN) 69 72, ZL STIRN (SLO) 68 73, T CHINNAPPA (IND) 68 73,
142 G BLOOR (ENG) 73 69, K ESTEVE RIGAILL (AND) 71 71, M GRADECKI (POL) 71 71, J FLOYDD (ENG) 68 74, J MCDONALD (SCO) 73 69, J STALTER (FRA) 74 68, A LOHAN (IND) 75 67, J DE BRUYN (GER) 72 70, K JOSHI (IND) 71 71, B ROBINSON THOMPSON (ENG) 72 70, D HORSEY (ENG) 73 69, B HEBERT (FRA) 73 69, R MCEVOY (ENG) 70 72, P KUMAR (IND) 73 69, V PARIKH (IND) 69 73, T SHADBOLT (ENG) 70 72,
143 C MCKINNEY (AUS) 72 71, M KUMAR (IND) 72 71, L CIANCHETTI (ITA) 73 70, A MALIK (IND) 74 69, M STEINLECHNER (AUT) 73 70, W BESSELING (NED) 68 75, N THANGARAJA (SRI) 68 75, P KATICH (GER) 73 70, K SHARMA (IND) 69 74, P LANGFORS (SWE) 70 73, Q VIDAL (ESP) 68 75, B VIRTO (ESP) 72 71, G DE LEO (ITA) 69 74, A WILSON (ENG) 73 70, S TALWAR (IND) 74 69, A ROOPA ANAND (IND) 71 72, A CHESTERS (ENG) 73 70, S CHHIBBER (IND) 70 73, J RUTHERFORD (ENG) 71 72, C MUNIYAPPA (IND) 70 73,
144 K PRABAGARAN (SRI) 70 74, K KAUL (IND) 72 72, R NEERGAARD-PETERSEN (DEN) 71 73, D SHEORAN (IND) 69 75, A MAGUIRE (IRL) 72 72, S BAHADUR RAI (NEP) 71 73, L VAN MEIJEL (NED) 71 73,
145 T GHAI (IND) 72 73, A PRASAD (IND) 69 76, A ALBERS (GER) 75 70, M LINDBERG (SWE) 73 72, M SIMONSEN (DEN) 72 73, G SINGH (IND) 71 74,
146 V CHOPRA (USA) 72 74, R THOMPSON (ENG) 70 76, J ANDERSEN (DEN) 71 75, B BAWDEN (ENG) 71 75,
147 G MASON (ENG) 74 73, M MADSEN (DEN) 73 74, K KUMAR (IND) 73 74, A SHARMA (IND) 72 75, A PATEL (IND) 72 75, C BRING (DEN) 73 74, S DAS (IND) 75 72, H SETHIE (IND) 72 75,
148 P SINGH GILL (IND) 75 73, S AHMED (IND) 75 73, D BAJAJ (IND) 71 77,
149 T VAHLENKAMP (GER) 73 76, G BOYD (ENG) 73 76, J HENRY (SCO) 75 74, G BRIXI (CZE) 74 75,
150 M MUTHU R (IND) 75 75, R ROUSSEL (FRA) 78 72,
151 S KUMAR (IND) 75 76, S BINU (IND) 76 75,
152 C GUICHARD (FRA) 80 72, J SINGH SANDHU (IND) 75 77,
**
OUT S SHARMA (IND) 71 RT, A CHADHA (IND) 76 WD, A CA?IZARES (ESP) DQ ,
