Late slip by Tvesa gives Millie Saroha hope of maiden win

By Rahul Banerji

Two late bogeys pushed overnight leader Tvesa Malik into second place behind Millie Saroha on day two of the eighth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at Bangalore’s Prestige Golfshire golf course.on Thursday.

Cashing in on Tvesa’s errors, Millie Saroha, still searching for her maiden success on the Tour, put herself in pole position with two birdies in her last three holes to eke out a one-shot lead. The 23-year-old Delhi golfer has never played in the lead group on the final day.

With conditions less challenging than on the first day, Millie went 3-under 69 while Tvesa’s two bogeys gave her a 1-under 71 card. Millie is now 2-under 142 and one shot ahead of Tvesa (143).

Ridhima Dilawari (75), playing in the last group with Millie and Tvesa, was lying third despite three dropped shots in a span of four holes. 

Still winless

Millie, who had a solid amateur career before she went to Texas to play Division 1 collegiate golf, has never won on the Hero WPG Tour despite holding the lead on several occasions after the first round. This is though, the first time she holds the lead going into the final round, raising hopes of a maiden win.

After a bogey free front nine of one-under 35, Millie dropped a shot for her only blemish of the day. She made up on the very next hole and then birdied twice more to catch the leader.

Tvesa was actually in the lead after the players had completed 15 holes and they arrived on the 16th tee. 

As Millie was making her birdies, Tvesa parred and then dropped back-to-back shots on the last two holes. The three holes saw a four-shot swing, as Tvesa three ahead after 15 fell one behind at the close.

Birdies flying

Astha Madan made up for a three-over 39 on front nine with a hat-trick of birdies on her way back for a round of 72, and fourth place at 6-over 150. One shot behind her is last week’s Gaurika Bishnoi (72), after a round of 74 at 7-over 151.

Amateur Sneha Sharan (74) and Khushi Khanijau (77) were tied for sixth, while Neha Tripathi (74) and amateur Asmitha Sathish (75) were tied eighth. Yet another amateur, Shreya Pal (73) and Gursimar Badwal (75) were T10.

Amateurs Asmitha and Shreya each had an eagle. Asmitha holed her third shot on the par-5 13th, while Shreya did so on the par-4 11th.

Final round groups at Prestige Golfshire:

Afshan Fatima (165), Oviya Reddi (165), Anisha Padukone (165);

Suchitra Ramesh (165), Siddhi Kapoor (163), Ivana Shah (A) (163);

Mehar Atwal (163), Ishvari Prasanna (162), Shriya Vivek (162);

Anousha Tripathi (161), Tanirika Singh (161), Smriti Mehra (160);

Jyotsana Singh (159), Gauri Karhade (158), Amandeep Drall (158);

Komal Chaudhary (157), Ananya Datar (156), Pranavi Urs (A) (156);

Sonam Chugh (156), Gursimar Badwal (155), Shreya Pal (A) (155);

Asmitha Sathish (A) (154), Neha Tripathi (154), Khushi Khanijau (152);

Sneha Sharan (A) (152), Gaurika Bishnoi (151), Astha Madan (150);

Ridhima Dilawari (149), Tvesa Malik (143), Millie Saroha (142).

Also read: Tvesa Malik leads after tough opener at Prestige Golfshire