Amandeep Drall found the touch she was looking for as she compiled a fine 5-under 67 and stretched her lead from one shot to four shots in the sixth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Classic Golf and Country Club.
Amandeep, runner-up at the Hero Women’s Indian Open last year, is now seven-under 137 and four shots ahead of two other established stars, Vani Kapoor (71-70) and Tvesa Malik (71-70). Tvesa finally found her rhythm despite two bogeys on the back nine.
Hitaashee Bakshi (70-72), coming back from an injury, had a triple bogey on the Par-4 seventh, but closed the day with an eagle on the Par-5 18th hole. She was lying fourth alongside Gaurika Bishnoi (70-72), who had one birdie on the front nine and one bogey on the back nine.
Amandeep Drall, who will soon be headed for the Ladies European Tour next month, opened with four pars before landing her first birdie on the fifth hole. She gave away that gain on the Par-4 seventh hole but immediately got another birdie on the Par-4 eighth and turned in one-under.
On the back nine, she birdied, 11th, 13tth, 14th, 16th and 18th holes and dropped just one bogey on the 15th. Vani was two-over after seven holes before she rallied with birdies on eighth and ninth. She added further birdies on 11th and 14th and dropped a shot on 16th, but finished the day with a satisfying birdie on 18th.
Tvesa Malik may well have challenged Amandeep as she was 3-under through 10 holes. Bogeys on 12th and 14th pushed her down before she fought back with a finishing birdie.
Hitaashee had birdies on third and eighth but had a crippling bogey on the Par-4 seventh. On the back nine she parred 11th to the 17th and closed with an eagle for 71, the same as the first day.
Seher Atwal (74-70) was lying solo sixth.
Anvvi Dahhiya was the best amateur with a round of 70 that saw her tied seventh alongside Neha Tripathi, Rhea Jha, Agrima Manral and rookie Kriti Chowhan, who are all at 2-over 146. The cut fell at 11-over with 22 professionals and all 6 amateurs in the field making it through to the final round.
