Golfer Gursimar wrests lead in Mumbai

GURSIMAR BADWAL carded 1 over 71 in the second round to grab the lead in the Rs.6 lakh fifth leg of the Hero Women's Professional Golf Tour at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club in Mumbai on Wednesday. Sharmila Nicollet played the only par round of the day to take second position with a total score of 142.

Kapurthala's Gursimar started cautiously, playing an even par front nine. She dropped three shots in her back nine on the 10th, 11th and 13th holes but two late birdies on the 16th and 18th helped her to finish with a total score of 141. She is yet to register a win on the tour and will be eager to claim her maiden professional title on Thursday.

Sharmila, on the other hand, carded the best score of the day to take second. The Bengaluru golfer carded a birdie and a bogey apiece on the first and ninth respectively to finish with a score of par 70.

Overnight leader Smriti Mehra and the Delhi duo of Ankita Tiwana and Mehar Atwal are all tied third with identical totals of 144 after 36 holes.

Kolkata's Smriti could not sustain her first round momentum and carded 7 over 77. Two double bogeys on the sixth and 11th, a quadruple on the fourth and a bogey on the 18th did not help her cause. But two birdies on the second and 16th coupled with her heroics on the first day helped her finish three shots adrift of the leader.

Ankita started impressively, playing a bogey-free front nine with two birdies on the second and ninth. Two under at the turn, she was unable to capitalise on her good start and could not add another birdie to her tally. She dropped three shots on the 11th, 12th and 16th on her return journey to finish the round with a score of 1 over 71.

Mehar carded two birdies on the 13th and 14th along with three bogeys on the ninth, 15th and 16th. She too finished with 1 over 71.

Pune's Shweta Galande and Delhi's Gauri Monga are tied sixth with identical totals of 146, followed by Kolkata's Neha Tripathi in eighth with 147.