Amandeep takes lead in women's golf tourney

Amandeep Drall carded an impressive round of four under 68 to take the sole lead on the second day of the 15th Leg of the Womens Professional Golf Tour at the DLF Golf and Country Club here on Thursday.

Trailing her in second position is Neha Tripathi with a total score of 145 after 36 holes. The Rs.6,00,000 ($90,000) event will culminate on Friday.

Amandeep, who was in the joint lead overnight, had an indifferent start, carding a bogey on the very first hole. The professional from Panchkula, however, quickly regained her composure and fired three consecutive birdies on the fourth, fifth and sixth holes in her front nine.

She got better as the day progressed and played a bogey free back nine, carding two more birdies on the 11th and 18th holes to finish with a total score of 142. In the process, she took a three stroke lead over Kolkata's Neha Tripathi going into the final round.

Neha carded the only other under par score of the round. Her card of one under 71 included a birdie and bogey apiece on the sixth and eighth holes respectively, in her front nine.

She added three more birdies on the 14th, 15th and 17th holes, while dropping shots on the 13th and 18th in her back nine to finish with a total score of 145.

Delhi's Vani Kapoor carded one over 73 in the second round to take the third position. She carded birdies on the fifth and eighth holes while dropping a shot on the third in her front nine.

However, she struggled in the latter half, carding a bogey on the 18th along with a double on the 10th. She carded the lone birdie of her back nine on the 13th hole to finish with a total score of 147.

Rookie Gaurika Bishnoi would have hoped for a better start as she carded bogeys on the first and seventh holes and a double on the ninth, while her lone birdie came on the fourth.

She played a birdie less back nine with a bogey on the 17th hole to finish the round in the fourth position with a score of 150.

Chandigarh's Saaniya Sharma is placed fifth with a total score of 151 after the penultimate round. She carded birdies on the second, 12th and 18th holes, while dropping shots on the fourth, ninth and 10th. She also carded double bogeys on the 11th and 17th holes to finish the round with a score of four over 76.

Jaipur's Afshan Fatima is placed sixth with a total score of 154, followed by amateur Diksha Dagar in seventh position at 156.

--IANS

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