JOIN US Neha Tripathi shot her best round of the season to annex the lead after the second round in the ninth leg of the Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour 2017 here on Thursday.
The Kolkatan, who triumphed in the season opening event at Ahmedabad but hit a rough patch since then, shot a blistering five-under 67 to total 141 at the Prestige Golfshire. Order of Merit leader Gaurika Bishnoi bounced back from a disastrous start, carding 69 to stay two shots behind Neha.
Neha, who oscillates between the Ladies European Tour and the domestic tour, was in her elements on a balmy Thursday. She started off somewhat cautiously, birdieing the fourth and sixth holes to take the turn at two-under for the day.
Thereafter, the 25-year-old’s putter caught fire as she fired four successive birdies from the 10th hole. Totally amped up, she then started attacking the pins but sadly couldn’t find anymore birdies. A wonderful day though ended on a sour note for the bubbly golfer as she dropped a bogey on the closing 18th.
Gaurika, who littered the vast course with bogeys in the opening round, too fought back in the second. She didn’t drop a single bogey throughout the day and topped the effort with three birdies.
Leading scores (after 36 holes, ‘A’ denotes amateur): 141: Neha Tripathi (74, 67); 143: Gaurika Bishnoi (74, 69); 144: Ridhima Dilwari (A, 73, 71); 146: Gursimar Badwal (71, 75); 147: Vani Kapoor (77, 70), Pranavi Urs (A, 74, 73); 149: Amandeep Drall (78, 71), Siddhi Kapooor (75, 74).