Neha extends lead to four shots in RCGC leg of Hero WPGT

By Rahul Banerji

Neha Tripathi overcame an early double bogey to card a 1-over 73 and take her lead from two shots to four in the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at Royal Calcutta Golf Club on Thursday.

Neha (72-73), twice a winner this season, is also in chase of Hero Order of Merit honours and is now 1-over 145 with a round to go, the WGAI said.

Neha is four shots clear of Ridhima Dilawari, still winless this season. Ridhima had the round of the day as no one in the field has broken par yet on the iconic but challenging RCGC.

Tvesa Malik (74-77) slipped to third place after a horrific start with three bogeys in her first three holes and at 151 trails Neha by six shots and is two behind Ridhima.

Tvesa and Ridhima are also due to play in the Final Stage of the LET Q-School in Al Maadan Golf Marrakech & Royal Golf de Marrakech next month.

Shweta Mansingh with five birdies had one of the better rounds of the day at 73 and rose to fourth place on 8-over 152. Seher Atwal (79-74) and Khushi Khanijau (79-74) were tied fifth.

Rough start

Neha began the second day with a birdie but immediately dropped a double bogey on the par-3 second, which was playing to 150 yards.

She got one shot back on hole five and another on 11. The birdies then dried up and she also went on to drop two more shots.

Ridhima had a birdie and a bogey on each side of the course, while Tvesa started with three bogeys. Another one soon thereafter meant she was 4-over after six holes.

Over the next 12 holes Tvesa had one more bogey but there were no birdies for her on the day.

Amateur Anaahat Bindra (75-80) was seventh while four players were tied for eighth on 12-over 156 including Yaalisai Verma (82-74), Sneha Singh (79-77), Kriti Chowhan (77-79) and Anisha Agarwalla (76-80).

The cut fell at 163 and 20 players made the final round. 

Scores and round 3 tee times

8 am: Snigdha Goswami 163, Ravjot K Dosanjh 163

8:10 am: Sinjini Mukherjee (A) 161, Rhea Jha 160, Gauri Karhade 160

8:20 am: Agrima Manral 159, Jyotsana Singh 158, Jasmine Shekar 157

8:30 am: Ananya Datar 157, Anisha Agarwalla 156, Kriti Chowhan 156

8:45 am: Sneha Singh 156, Yaalisai Verma 156, Anaahat Bindra (A) 155

8:55 am: Khushi Khanijau 153, Seher Atwal 153, Shweta Mansingh 152

9:05 am: Tvesa Malik 151, Ridhima Dilawari 149, Neha Tripathi 145

Also read: Neha Tripathi leads field on day one of RCGC Hero WPGT event