Bengaluru: Millie Saroha, still searching for her maiden success on the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour, put herself in pole position at the end of the second day of the eighth leg of the Tour. The 23-year-old Delhi golfer, who has never played in the lead group on the final day, carded two birdies in the last three holes to rush past Tvesa Malik on the second day at the Prestige Golfshire golf course.
On a day when the conditions were somewhat less challenging than the first day, Millie shot three-under 69 while Tvesa bogeyed the last two holes for a 71. Millie is now two-under 142 and one shot ahead of Tvesa who is one-under 143.
Ridhima Dilawari (75), who played in the last group with Millie and Tvesa, was lying third despite a rough patch between third and sixth, when she had three dropped shots in a span of four holes.
Millie, who had a fine amateur career before she went off to Texas for college golf, where she played in Division 1, has never won on the Hero WPG Tour despite holding the lead on several occasions after the first round. In fact she has never had the lead after 36 holes, so this will be her first time in front and she could break through for her maiden win.
After a bogey free front nine of one-under 35, she bogeyed 10th for her only mistake of the day. She made up on the very next hole and then birdied 16th and 18th.
Tvesa was actually in the lead after the players had completed 15 holes and they arrived on the 16th tee.
As Millie birdied, Tvesa parred and then dropped back-to-back bogeys on the last two holes. Millie in contrast had a par on 17thand birdied 18th. The three holes saw a four-shot swing, as Tvesa three ahead after 15 became one behind after 18.
Astha Madan made up for a three-over 39 on front nine with a hat-trick of birdies on back nine for a round of 72, and is lying fourth at six-over 150. One shot behind her is Gaurika Bishnoi (72), winner last week, after a round of 74 at seven-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 tied 10th.
Amateurs Asmitha and Shreya each had an eagle. Asmitha holed her third shot on Par-5 13th, while Shreya holed her second shot on the Par-4 11th.
Tee times for Round 3 of the eighth leg of Hero WPG Tour, Prestige Golfshire:
8:00 AM: Afshan Fatima (165), Oviya Reddi (165), Anisha Padukone (165);
8:10 AM: Suchitra Ramesh (165), Siddhi Kapoor (163), Ivana Shah (A) (163);
8:20 AM: Mehar Atwal (163), Ishvari Prasanna (162), Shriya Vivek (162);
8:30 AM: Anousha Tripathi (161), Tanirika Singh (161), Smriti Mehra (160);
8:40 AM: Jyotsana Singh (159), Gauri Karhade (158), Amandeep Drall (158);
8:50 AM: Komal Chaudhary (157), Ananya Datar (156), Pranavi Urs (A) (156);
9:00 AM: Sonam Chugh (156), Gursimar Badwal (155), Shreya Pal (A) (155);
9:10 AM: Asmitha Sathish (A) (154), Neha Tripathi (154), Khushi Khanijau (152);
9:20 AM: Sneha Sharan (A) (152), Gaurika Bishnoi (151), Astha Madan (150);
9:30 AM: Ridhima Dilawari (149), Tvesa Malik (143), Millie Saroha (142).