HWPGT: Smriti takes sole lead after day two

Smriti-Mehra-in-action-26Pahalgam: Overnight joint leader Smriti Mehra played a consistent round today to lead the field after 36 holes in the sixth leg of the INR 7,00,000 Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour 2014. The tournament which is being played at the picturesque Lidder Valley Golf Course witnessed some top class golf from the veteran golfer who carded 1 under 70 to finish at four under 138 after the second round.

Hero Order of Merit leader Vani Kapoor from Delhi, played a consistent round to improve to the second position, trailing Smriti by a single shot after 36 holes. Vani too carded 1 under 70, to finish with a total of 3 under 139 after the second round.

Smriti, who sunk nine birdies in the firstround, started off cautiously carding four birdies on the fifth, ninth, 14th and 16th holes as opposed to three bogeys on the eighth, 10th and 13th holes. Vani, who is chasing her fourth victory of the season, began with a birdie and carded three more on the eighth, ninth and 16th holes. She had three bogeys on the seventh, 11th and 12th holes.

Kolkata golfer Neha Tripathi made a strongcomeback today, with a second round score of 3 under 68 to finish the day at tied third with overnight joint leader and Chandigarh amateur Tavleen Batra. Tavleen could not repeat her first day performance, carding 1 over 72, which included three birdies and four bogeys. Neha and Tavleen both finished withidentical scores of two under 140 after 36 holes.

Neha, who had a splendid last season, displayed her golfing capabilities as she made her way back to the top three with five birdies on the second, eighth, ninth, 11th and 12 holes. Her only blemishes in an otherwise splendid round were the two bogeys on the 14th and 18th holes.

Saaniya Sharma and Gursimar Badwal are tied fifth after the second days play with identical scores of 142 respectively. Preetinder Kaur with her second round score of one over 72 and a total of 144 is placed seventh. Shweta Galande and amateur Mehar Atwal are joint ninth with identical total scores of 145.

The Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour 2014 comprises a total of fifteen legs spanning across key locations in India.