Coimbatore: Delhi lad Manu Gandas brought in a superb card of 5-under 67 to usurp the lead at the end of the half-way stage of the Tata Steel Tamil Nadu Amateur being played at the par-72 Coimbatore Golf Club here on Wednesday. Manu’s two-day total read an impressive 6-under 138.
 

The youngster was leading by two shots from Syed Saqib Ahmed who brought in a card of 1-under 71 for a 36-hole total of 140. Ainesh Ahluwalia was lying third at 141 while Aman raj was fourth at 142. Overnight leader Udayan Mane slumped to the tied-fifth position after a dismal 78 for a total of 144. Ankur Chadha, Vikram Rana and Simarjeet Singh were the others tied for the fifth position.
 

Manu began on a ominous note making a bogey on the opening hole which he rectified with a birdie in the very next hole. A bogey each on the fourth and sixth was nullified with an eagle on the fifth. With another eagle on the ninth, he took the turn at 2-under. On the back nine, after a spate of pars, Manu went on a birdie blitz with an hattrick of them beginning from the 13th before completing the round without any further hiccups.
 

“It took a while for me to settle down. The two eagles on my front nine saved the day for me,” said Manu. “After a roller coaster front nine, I decided to stay calm and took it hole by hole,” added Manu.
 

138 Manu Gandas (71, 67); 140 Syed Saqib Ahmed (69, 71); 141 Ainesh Ahluwalia (69, 72); 142 Aman Raj (70, 72); 144 Ankur Chadha (73, 71), Vikram Rana (72, 72), Simarjeet Singh (71, 73), Udayan Mane (66, 78); 146 Viraj Madappa (77, 69), Arjun Sharma (74, 72), IL Aalaap (71, 75)