Four players locked for lead in a tight battle in 12th Leg of WPGT

Hosur (T.N.), Aug 28 (IANS) Amandeep Drall roared back into form with a solid card of 4-under 68 to take a share of the four-way lead after two rounds in the 12th Leg of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour at Clover Greens here on Thursday.

Amandeep (75-68) now shares the lead with Khushi Khanijau (75-68), Ananya Garg (72-71), and the first round leader amateur Mannat Brar (70-73). Sneha (76-68), who was one of the four players to shoot the day’s best card, was fifth, one place ahead of Ridhima Dilawari, who also put herself in contention with a 68 that included an eagle-two, after a first-round 77. Ridhima was Tied-sixth with Karishma Govind (74-71) at 145.

Amandeep, who had struggled to 75 on the first day, opened with a birdie on the first and added a second birdie on the eighth. A bogey on the ninth saw her turn in 1-under. On the back nine, three birdies in a row from 11th to the 13th saw her make good headway before she finished with a bogey on the 15th and a birdie on the 17th.

Khushi Khanijau, after a bogey-birdie on the sixth and the seventh, holed four birdies in a five-hole stretch between the ninth and the 13th. She closed with five pars for a 68.

Sneha Singh had as many as seven birdies in her 68 against three bogeys, while Ridhima, the fourth player to shoot 68, had five birdies and an eagle against three bogeys.

First round leader Mannat carded four birdies against five bogeys for a 73. Anvitha Narender (75-71) and Jasmine Shekar (72-74) were tied eighth at 146. Amateur duo Lavanya Gupta (74-74) and Aaradhya Shetty (73-75) were tied for tenth at 147.

The cut fell at 9-over 153, and 23 players will play in the final round. Among those missing out was Vidhatri Urs.

With as many as nine players within three shots of the lead, the third and final round promises to be a cliff-hanger at the Rs. 15 lakh event.

The lead group comprises Amandeep Drall, Khushi Khanijau, and Ananya Garg, while the second last group will have amateur Mannat Brar, Sneha Singh, and Ridhima Dilawari.

--IANS

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