All eyes on Amandeep Drall, takes sole lead at India Open

Gurugram, October 22

Amandeep Drall drilled a confident six-footer for a final birdie to take sole lead with a bogey-free 67 on the third day of the $400,000 Hero Women’s Indian Open here today.

She takes a one-shot advantage into the final day over Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall (68) and Germany’s Olivia Cowan, whose bogey-free 65 equalled the week’s best card. Aditi Ashok added to the excitement with an eagle on the par-4 ninth during her round of 69 and lies fourth. Gaurika Bishnoi (72) despite a bogey on the 18th was fifth, making it three Indians in the top-five.

Among the top-five, only Hedwall (2011) and Ashok (2016) have previously won the Indian Open, while Drall, Cowan and Bishnoi are yet to register a win on the Ladies European Tour (LET).

Even as Drall and Hedwall were engaged in a tight battle, Cowan was charging up the leaderboard. After four quiet pars to start, she birdied six of the next seven, including five in a row from the seventh. There was one more on the 14th for the day’s work of 7-under. However, she missed a birdie on the 18th, where many others picked a shot.

Drall, who logged her first LET top-10 recently in the Swiss Ladies Open, and Hedwall, who has finished in the top-2 three times in four starts at the HWIO, played superbly on the front nine.