Pranavi jumps into 3-way lead

Chandigarh, January 16

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Amateur Pranavi Urs bounced back from her first round 75 and early reverses to shoot a 1-under 69 in the second round of the second leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour in Mumbai today.

Pranavi, who was tied-seventh after the first day, now shares the lead with overnight leaders Tvesa Malik and Ananya Datar, who shot an identical 3-over 73 at the Par-70 Bombay Presidency Golf Club on Thursday.

As Tvesa dropped two shots on the back-nine and Ananya dropped one, Pranavi picked three in the first four holes of the back-nine. In all, she had four birdies in a six-hole run from the 8th to the 13th.

Earlier in the day, Pranavi double-bogeyed the par-4 3rd and bogeyed the par-5 4th to go 8-over. The four birdies later on though brought her back into the fight for the title. The budding golfer is now 4-over 144.

Tvesa opened with a bogey on the par-5 1st, but recovered with a birdie on the 2nd. There were no more birdies and she dropped shots on 7th, 15th and 18th in her 73. Ananya dropped a shot each on the 3rd, 7th and 14th.

Afshan Fatima opened and finished with a birdie and in between bogeyed the 4th to record a 69 — only the second under-par round so far this week. She is fourth, while Oviya Reddi (76-72) with two birdies, two bogeys and a double was fifth at 8-over 148.

Trimann Saluja (74-75) and Neha Tripathi (72-77) were tied-sixth while Haryana’s Gaurika Bishnoi (78-72), despite three birdies between the 7th and the 10th, was 8th at 150.

Amateur Ivana Shah (77-74), Khushi Khanijau (79-72) and Siddhi Kapoor (74-77) were tied-ninth at 151.

On the final day, the lead trio of Tvesa, Ananya and Pranavi start in the leader group with a one-shot lead over 4th placed Afshan Fatima, setting the stage for an exciting finish to the second leg. — TNS/PTI