Khushi Khanijau’s birdie on the 18th while playing alongside the talented amateur Keerthana Rajeev Nair, ensured both had a share of the lead at 1-under 71 in the 10th leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at Prestige Golfshire. The duo was later joined by another amateur, Vidhatri Urs, who won the ninth leg by a massive 13 shots.
Three others led by the experienced Tvesa Malik alongside a yet another amateur, Mannat Brar, who leads the Order of Merit on the IGU circuit, and rookie pro, Kriti Chowhan shot even par 72 each.
Four players, including two more amateurs, Saanvi Somu, who was second behind Vidhatri in the ninth leg, and Prakruthi Sastry, were tied for seventh place alongside Ananya Datar and Neha Tripathi. They all carded 1-over 73 each.
With five players in the Top-10, the amateurs were once in spotlight as they have been in recent Hero WPGT events.
Amateur Keerthana, who was the runner-up in the eighth leg, had an action-packed round with six birdies, three on either side of the golf course. But she also had two bogeys and a double on the ninth on the front nine, but she was bogey free for the second stretch over which she birdied three times, on the 14th, 16th, and 18th holes.
Vidhatri had three birdies against one bogey on the front nine and just one bogey on the back nine.
Khushi, the best pro on the day, had two birdies on the front nine and two bogeys on 10th and 12th, but ensured a under par card and a share of the lead with a fine birdie on 18th.
Tvesa Malik searching for her form off late birdied fifth and the eighth and dropped shots on the ninth and the par-5 16th for even par 72.
Tee times for Round 2 of the 10th leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at Prestige Golfshire, Bengaluru:
1. 11:15 am: Anvitha Narender 82, Disha Kavery 82;
2. 11:25 am: Durga Nittur 82, Oviya Reddi 81;
3. 11:35 am: Anaggha Venkatesh 81, Rhea Purvi S. 81, Nayanika Sanga 80;
4. 11:45 am: Vrinda Yadav 79, Ishvari Prasanna 79, Saaniya Sharma 79;
5. 11:55 am: Ravjot K Dosanjh 79, Sachika Singh 79, Asmitha Sathish 79;
6. 12:10 pm: Suchitra Ramesh 78, Riya Yadav 78, Rhea Jha 78;
7. 12:20 pm: Snigdha Goswami 78, Shweta Mansingh 77, Anisha Agarwalla 77;
8. 12:30 pm: Rishika Muralidhar 77, Jyotsana Singh 76, Agrima Manral 76;
9. 12:40 pm: Gauri Karhade 76, Hitaashee Bakshi 75, Jasmine Shekar 74;
10. 12:55 pm: Sneha Singh 74, Karishma Govind 74, Neha Tripathi 73;
11. 1:05 pm: Prakruthi Sastry (A) 73, Saanvi Somu (A) 73, Ananya Datar 73;
12. 1:15 pm: Kriti Chowhan 72, Mannat Brar (A) 72, Tvesa Malik 72;
13. 1:25 pm: Vidhatri Urs (A) 71, Keerthana Rajeev (A) 71, Khushi Khanijau 71.
