Jaipur: Pune’s Shweta Galande returned with a level par score to leapfrog into the lead on day two of the 18th and final leg of the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour 2015 here at the Rambagh Golf Club on Thursday. Trailing her in the second position is Delhi’s Vani Kapoor who finished with a total score of 146 after 36 holes. The INR 5,00,000 event will culminate on Friday.
Starting the day in third position, Shweta played a cautious front nine, carding two birdies on the 4th and 8th holes, along with bogies on the 3rd, 5th and 9th holes. She became more confident as the day progressed and her back nine consisted of two birdies on the 15th and 16th holes, as against a solitary blemish on the 10th to finish with a score of 145 after two days. The Pune professional, who has just one title to her name, now has a splendid opportunity to win her second title here at the last event of the HWPGT 2015.
Overnight leader Vani Kapoor could not emulate her first day performance, and returned a card of 5 over 76 to slip down the leaderboard. The Hero Order of Merit leader had an error-prone front nine with four bogies on the 1st, 4th, 6th and 7th holes and just a lone birdie on the 8th. Her fortunes did not change much during the course of the day as she played a birdie-less back nine with a double bogey on the 12th hole, to total 146 and stay a shot adrift of the leader.
Kapurthala’s Gursimar Badwal and Panchkula’s Amandeep Drall ended with identical totals of 147 to finish tied third. Gursimar Badwal had an eventful front nine with three birdies on the 1st, 8th and 9th holes, as against a bogey and a double on the 2nd and 7th holes respectively. She played a bogey-free back nine with a lone birdie on the 13th hole to return with a score of 1 under 70, the second best score of the day. Amandeep Drall’s round of 1 over 72 consisted of five birdies on the 1st, 8th, 11th, 16th and 17th holes, along with bogies on the 5th, 7th, 10th and 18th holes and also a double on the 9th. Her tally of five birdies was the maximum by any player on the day.
Kolkata’s Neha Tripathi, Overseas player Kiran Matharu and Delhi’s Ankita Tiwana are placed tied fifth with identical scores of 149 after 36 holes. Neha Tripathi returned with a score of 2 under 69,the best performance of the day. She started aggressively and carded three birdies on the 1st, 8th and 9th holes, as against a bogey on the 3rd in her front nine. She avoided taking too much risk on the return journey, and played an even par back nine. Kiran Matharu’s round of 1 over 72 consisted of four birdies on the 2nd, 13th, 14th and 18th holes, along with five bogies on the 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th and 10th holes. Ankita Tiwana who started the day in second position, played erratically and her round of 6 over 77 included five bogies on the 1st, 3rd, 10th, 12th, and 13th holes, along with a double on the 16th. Her lone birdie of the day came on the 8th hole.
Jaipur’s Afshan Fatima and Kolkata’s Smriti Mehra are in tied 8th position with a total score of 151 after Round Two.
Samikshan Dutta Choudhury
