Amandeep holds lead despite struggle on second day of 5th leg of WPGT

Gurugram, March 16 (IANS) Amandeep Drall endured a tough day but managed to hang onto the lead which narrowed from three to just one shot after the second round of the fifth leg of the Hero Women's Pro Golf Tour at the DLF Golf and Country Club.

As Amandeep struggled to 5-over 77 and is now 2-over 146, Jahanvi Bakshi who trailed by three reduced the gap to just one with a round of 75 and was 3-over 147 after two rounds.

The day's best round came from Gaurika Bishnoi (74), who was tied third with Pranavi Urs (75) at 4-over 148. Hitaashee Bakshi equalled Gaurika's best score of the day with 74 but was tied fifth alongside Astha Madan (76) and Rhea Purvi Saravanan (77).

Amandeep opened the day with a birdie and then safely parred the next two. A bogey on Par-4 fourth and another Par-4 sixth saw her turn in 1-0ver 37. On the back nine, the woes increased with bogeys on 11th and 12th and a triple bogey on par-4 14th. The birdie on 15th was a small consolation as she signed her card for 77.

Jahanvi Bakshi had one birdie and one bogey on the front nine and then had two more bogeys and a double bogey against just one birdie on the back stretch for a total of 75.

Pranavi had four bogeys but she also had two doubles and three other bogeys on a day when scoring was tough on the challenging Gary Player layout at the DLF Golf and Country Club.

Neha Tripathi (75) was sole eighth, while four players, Trimann Saluja (76), amateur Nishna Patel (78), Durga Nittur (79) and Seher Atwal (79) were tied for ninth. Among well-known names Ridhima Dilawari (80) was T-15 and Vani Kapoor (79) was 17th.

The cut fell at 162 and 24 players, including three amateurs made it.