Woman golfer Amandeep shoots 65 to grab lead

ROOKIE AMANDEEP DRALL fired a career best round of six-under 65 to lead after the second round of the 14th leg of the Hero Women's Professional Golf Tour at the par-71 Clover Greens course in Bangalore on Thursday.

Amandeep, who began the day in third position, got birdies on the second, fourth, seventh, ninth, 10th, 17th and 18th holes against a lone bogey on the 11th. She finished with a total score of seven-under 135 to remain within striking distance of her second professional title.

Overnight leader Vani Kapoor, who scored 65 in the opening round, could not replicate her day one show as she carded one-over 72 to finish three shots behind Amandeep after the penultimate round of the Rs.5,00,000 event.

Hero Order of Merit leader Vani of Delhi started well, playing a bogey-free front nine with birdies on the fifth and seventh holes. However, she could not sustain the momentum in the latter half, as she dropped four shots on the 10th, 16th, 17th and 18th holes, with a lone birdie on the 15th. She got a 72.

Kolkata's Neha Tripathi was third with a total score of three-under 139. Neha added a 68 to her first round score of 71.

Sharmila Nicollet returned with a 73 to be fourth and the local golfer has a two-day total of two-under one-under 141.

Pune's Shweta Galande finished fifth with a total of 147 following a 72 on Thursday. Delhi's Gauri Monga scored 73 on the second day to be sixth.

Kapurthala's Gursimar Badwal was seventh with a total of 149, followed by Delhi's Ankita Tiwana in eighth position at 150. Jaipur's Afshan Fatima and amateur Trisha Sunil of Bengaluru shared the ninth spot on 153.