Millie, Neha share lead in Hero golf

Amateur Millie Saroha took many by surprise by carding the day's best score of four-under 68 in the second round of the ninth leg of Hero Women's Professional Golf Tour at the Eagleton Golf Resort here Thursday.

The Delhi golfer along with Kolkata's Neha Tripathi was in joint lead with identical scores of 144 after 36 holes. Trailing the leaders by just a stroke in the Rs.5 lakh event was Delhi amateur Mehar Atwal, who finished the second round carding one-under 71 for a two-round total of 145.

In an event which saw the first under-par scores, Millie held her nerve and played the best round comprising six birdies. She faltered just twice with bogeys on the sixth and 13th holes.

Neha had a disturbing front nine with two bogeys on the eighth and ninth. She carded another bogey on the 12th but thereafter stabilised her game with three birdies on the 14th, 16th and 17th to return home even-par 72.

Mehar Atwal's round of one-under 71 consisted of four birdies along with three bogeys while current Order of Merit leader Vani Kapoor made a strong comeback to finish fifth with a total score of 147.

After Wednesday's mediocre performance, Vani controlled her game and finished with a two-under 70 aided by four birdies and two bogeys.

Overnight joint leader Ankita Tiwana could not sustain her momentum and slipped four places to finish in joint fifth with Kapurthala's Gursimar Badwal, both having a score of 148.

Gursimar, who carded one over-73, had a flawless front nine with two birdies. Her back nine got her into trouble as she finished with three bogeys.

Ankita's score of four-over 76 consisted of three birdies along with five bogeys and a double bogey on the 18th.

Chandigarh's Saaniya Sharma with an even-par score was placed seventh with a total of 150 while Pune's Shweta Galande was eighth with 152 and Jaipur's Pallavi Jain and local amateur Anisha Padukone were tied ninth with 153 apiece.