By Rahul Banerji
A second successive 2-over par 74 kept Anika Varma firmly in the middle of the leader-board after day two of the of the 71st annual US Girls Championship at the SentryWorld Golf Course in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, on Tuesday.
Anika climbed from her overnight 47th place to 44th in the standings and is now 16 shots off the pace on a leader-board that has only the top 11 in red figures on the par-72, 6,305-yard SentryWorld Course.
Overnight leader Yuka Saso continued to lead the way on 12-under par 132 and in fact increased her lead to five shots over second placed Maddinson Hinson-Tolchard of Australia, with Sophia Bae of the United States third on 5-under 139.
The top 64 now face off in a series of knockout matches with Anika up against the USA’s Nicole Adam who was the early leader on day one of the competition.
Follow the action here: U.S. GIRLS’ JUNIOR
The Indian teenager once again had a slightly rocky start with two bogeys and a double to offset two birdies in her outward nine which she completed in 2-over 38.
As on Monday, Anika’s back nine was a far steadier effort that exchanged a birdie against one dropped shot in the first two holes before she parred the remaining seven.
Anika will need to lift her game now though as the first cut saw those with 6-over 150 totals miss out with only the best three on that score going through in a playoff.
Noida-based Anika came through in one of the 41 qualifying events for the United States Golf Association’s premier tournament for junior women that has drawn a field of 156.
Prestigious pick
Meanwhile, talented Indian teenagers Pranavi Urs and Arjun Bhati will participate in the 2019 European Young Masters in the Czech Republic this week having been nominated by the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC).
The two Indian juniors are joined by Mirabel Ting of Malaysia and Thailand’s Pongsapak Laopakdee.
The four APGC nominees will be up against Europe’s best under-16 golfers over three days of stroke play at the par-72 Golf & Spa Kunětická Hora, the European Golf Association said.
The APGC team is being accompanied by Chennai’s Ishwar Achanta as advisor and Rabetul Abbas as the captain.
Live scoring from Thursday here
In all, 114 players representing 34 countries will tee it up on the championship course at Kunětická Hora in the 24th edition of the event, first played in 1995.
Winners at the Czech Republic event will join the likes of Sergio Garcia, Rafael Cabrera-bello, and Matteo Manassero on the boys’ side, and Suzann Pettersen and Carlota Ciganda on the girls’ side as past champions.
This is the first time the APGC is nominating players to the EGA event where they will compete for the individual prizes. Two European teams, each made up of a mixed pair, have been invited to compete in the APGC Junior Championship in Hong Kong next month.
The 2019 edition will also mark the first time the event will be included in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), the EGA said.
According to the association’s website, each member federation can send a team of up to four, made up of two boys and two girls, all of whom will play three rounds of stroke play, starting on Thursday.
The top three in each category (boys and girls) will be awarded medals at the end of round three on Saturday.
Also read: Round of 63 gives Arjun Bhati title at Callaway World Jrs in California
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