Ras Al Khaimah (UAE), Jan 25 : India's Veer Ahlawat made his first cut on the DP World Tour after taking up membership of the Tour. The 28-year-old who played one hole after waiting overnight as darkness had enveloped the Al Hamra Golf on the first day, birdied the 18th and shot 3-under 69 in the second to move into the weekend rounds at a creditable 5-under and was Tied-15th.

India's other DPWT member Shubhankar Sharma also shot 69 on the second day, but his first-round 75 cost him heavily and he missed the second straight cut this season.

Ahlawat, who topped the PGTI Order of Merit in 2024 to earn a card onto the DPWT as per the alliance between the Tours, had finished tied second at the Hero Indian Open at his home course, the DLF Golf and Country Club, a year ago, but he was not a member of the DPWT. He chose to focus on the PGTI and earned a passage into the bigger Tour.

Ahlawat dropped a shot early in the second round but picked four birdies after that for a 69. He birdied the third seventh, eighth, and the 15th. Last week Ahlawat and Sharma missed the cut in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

Marcus Armitage birdied his final two holes to remain in control of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship at the halfway stage. The Englishman, who opened with a blistering nine under par first round, followed that with a three under par effort to reach 12 under on day two. He goes into the final two rounds with a two-stroke advantage over countryman Dan Brown and Spain's Alejandro del Rey at Al Hamra Golf Club. Armitage birdied the third and fourth to overtake Brown and del Rey, who had set the target at ten under but sandwiched another birdie with bogeys at the seventh and ninth.

The 37-year-old dropped another shot at the par-four 12th but steadied himself with a pair of pars before launching an assault on the final few holes. The 2021 Porsche European Open champion converted from 23 feet on the par three 15th to return to double figures, before birdieing the final two holes for the second day in a row ' and in style.

After missing the green at the 17th, he chipped in for birdie from the greenside rough before almost holing his third shot from 99 yards at the par-five 18th, leaving the simplest of tap-ins to secure a round of 69. Brown's eight-under round of 64 was the best of the day and matched only by American Johannes Veerman who climbed 42 places to fourth.

Five players share fifth on seven under, including China's Li Haotong and Dane Hamish Brown, who both posted seven-under rounds of 65. Englishman Daniel Gavins, the 2023 winner of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, made more great memories at Al Hamra Golf Club, carding the second hole in one of his career at the par-three seventh hole.

/IANS