By Rahul Banerji
Hyderabad-based amateur Sneha Singh will take a one-shot lead into the final day of the eighth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at Golden Greens Golf Club.
Overnight leader Avani Prashanth faltered over the last two holes giving away as many as three shots to slip off the lead on Thursday.
Avani’s errors allowed Sneha, playing one group ahead into the lead with a day’s card of 1-under 71 and a two-day total of level par 144 for the sole lead.
Both Sneha and Avani are past winners on the pro tour while still retaining their amateur status.
There was a three-way tie for second place, with Avani (71-74), Siddhi Kapoor (74-71) and Jahanvi Bakshi (73-72) all on 1-over 145s.
Fifth and sixth place were held by amateurs Khushi Hooda (75-71) and Vidhatri Urs (73-74). Vidhatri also had an eagle on the Par-5 fifth.
Close call
With six players in contention, including four amateurs, there is bound to be a close battle on Friday with just three shots separate them.
Siddhi Kapoor had three birdies against two bogeys on the second day. Jahanvi was once again steady and a picture of calm with a 72 that had one birdie and one bogey.
Avani, winner of the third leg this year and still short of her 15th birthday, played superbly till the last two holes.
The Bangalore girl, who started 1-under was on a roll on the front nine. She opened with a birdie from almost 15 feet and on the third she hit an approach to five feet.
Late blip
On the eighth, a 6-iron got Avani to six feet for a birdie. She was 2-under for the first nine. A bogey on 10 was a blip, but six pars then followed.
On the 17th hole, the teenager found the rough while playing for the wind, which resulted in a bogey.
On 18, Avani needed a drop to get out of the rough that lines much of the Golden Greens course. That resulted in a double bogey and a change in the lead.
It was especially disappointing for Avani as she had a birdie on 17 and par on 18 on Wednesday.
Hitaashee Bakshi (76-73) was seventh and Saaniya Sharma (72-78) eighth. Lakhmehar Pardesi (74-77) and Afshan Fatima (73-78) were tied for ninth.
Scores and third round tee times
8 am: Oviya Reddi 158; Mehar Atwal 158
8:10 am: Ananya Datar 157; Trimann Saluja 156
8:20 am: Disha Kavery 156; Rishika Muralidhar (A) 155; Suchitra Ramesh 155
8:30 am: Nishna Patel (A) 154; Rhea P. Saravanan 153; Shweta Mansingh 153
8:40 am: Seher Atwal 152; Khushi Khanijau 152; Afshan Fatima 151
8:55 am: Lakhmehar Pardesi 151; Saaniya Sharma 150; Hitaashee Bakshi 149
9:05 am: Vidhatri Urs (A); 147; Khushi Hooda (A) 146; Avani Prashanth (A) 145
9:15 am: Jahanvi Bakshi 145; Siddhi Kapoor 145; Sneha Singh (A) 144
Also read: Amateurs in the van as Avani Prashanth leads at Golden Greens
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