Golfer Anirban Lahiri fighting to stay afloat in Houston Open

Houston: Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri will need at least two birdies to make the cut after being three-over through 28 holes in the weather-hit second round of the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open here. Lahiri was moving along with a series of pars for the first 15 holes before dropping two quick shots in succession to finish at 2-over 72 in the first round. The Indian then had one bogey in 10 holes in the second round when play was suspended due to darkness. When play stopped, Lahiri was 3-over through 28 holes and needed at least two birdies in last eight holes to have a chance of making the cut. After six pars, Lahiri bogeyed the par-5 sixth and then had another three pars when play ended for the day. Martin Trainer grabbed the lead after he holed a pair of long birdie putts in a bogey-free round at Memorial Park for a 5-under 65. He was one shot ahead of Kevin Tway. The second round would not be completed until Saturday morning as the tournament tried to catch up from a long weather delay at the start of the tournament. Though the cut would not be made till the third day, it was clear that four-time major champion Brooks Koepka would miss it for the second straight week. He shot 71-72 to be 3-over as the cut was likely to fall at 1-over. Trainer, 30, won the Puerto Rico Open in 2019 as a rookie and has made only nine cuts in 70 starts on the PGA TOUR since then. Tway had a pair of eagles in his 64. Jason Kokrak was 8 under with seven holes left. Adam Long was another stroke back after a 67. The day belonged to Scottie Scheffler, who had a 62 and was four shots behind in the group that included fellow Texas Longhorn Kramer Hickok.