It was an eminently forgettable day with a first round of 80 and then 76 in the second. That means an early exit from the Hero Indian Open and that is always painful for me, because I have wanted to do well so badly in it for years.

As I said earlier, I have been close to the top many times before but of late, things have not worked out for me. This one was one of the more forgettable editions. Hopefully, I can do better next time.

If there was a silver lining or something to feel good about, it was from S.S.P. Chawrasia. He is such a lovable character, always smiling and cheerful. On Friday once again he gave Indian golf fans a lot to cheer.

What an amazing round of 67 in such difficult conditions and a demanding golf course. There was not a single blot on the card and he missed a few birdies, I heard.

He came back this morning to complete the first and unfortunately dropped a shot at the end on 18th, but then proceeded to play bogey free in the second round and move into the sole lead.

With a one-shot lead at the halfway mark, he may not be running away but he is looking solid and very confident. That is not something one could say about many others. There were hardly any rounds in the 60s on the day, in fact Chawrasia’s 67 was the only one. Even on the first day there were just a handful and right now only 12 players are under par for the tournament.

The golf course has taken a lot out of everyone and the conditions and stoppages — two and a half hours today and 90 minutes on Thursday — have added to the misery.

While I am out for the week, I will be watching and cheering for S.S.P. and that would mean so much for Indian golf.