Amandeep retains lead, Vani in hot pursuit

BENGALURU, July 23: Rookie Amandeep Drall carded two over 74 on the second day to retain the lead in the 12th Leg of the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour here today.
One shot behind is Delhi’s Vani Kapoor with a total of 145 after round two at the INR 6,00,000 event, which will culminate tomorrow.
Overnight leader Amandeep had an indifferent day on the field as she dropped three shots on the 9th, 12th and 13th holes, along with a triple bogey on the 8th. However, four birdies on the 7th, 11th, 17th and 18th holes helped her finish with a total of 144 after two rounds, and keep the chase on for her first professional title.
Hero Order of Merit Leader Vani played a cautious front nine, carding two birdies on the 5th and 6th holes, and dropping shots on the 4th and 9th. She showed much more aggression as the day progressed, and played a blemish-free back nine with a lone birdie on the 17th hole to end the day with a score of one under 71, the best effort of the day.
Kolkata’s Neha Tripathi and amateur Trisha Sunil are tied third with identical scores of 147.
Trisha played brilliantly in the front nine carding three birdies on the 6th, 7th and 8th holes, with a lone boogie on the 5th. However, she could not sustain the momentum and played a birdie-less back nine with two boogies on the 16th and 18th holes to return with a level par score at the end of the day’s play.
Neha carded four birdies on the 5th, 13th, 17th and 18th holes, while dropping shots on the 6th, 12th and 16th, along with a double boogie on the 10th hole to the end day with a score of one over 73.
Hero Motocorp sponsored Sharmila Nicollet and Kapurthala’s Gursimar Badwal with a total score of 149 are in tied fifth position after 36 holes.
Delhi’s Ankita Tiwana is in seventh position with a total score of 154, while Chandigarh’s Saaniya Sharma is in 8th position with a total score of 156, followed by Pune’s Shweta Galande and Delhi’s Mehar Atwal in tied 9th position with identical scores of 159 after two rounds. (PTI)