Mysuru: Khushi Khanijau moved into the lead as Vidhatri Urs, playing her first event as a pro, faltered on the back nine of the second round of the seventh Leg of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Golf Club here on Friday.
Playing in her hometown of Mysuru, Vidhatri gave away two bogeys and a double for one birdie on the 18th and finished with a round of 4-over 74.
In contrast, Khushi, whose only win on the Hero WPG Tour came in 2021 in Kolkata, picked up three birdies on the back after turning in even par. Khushi carded the day’s best and the only sub-par round of 69. She is now 1-over 141 and holds a one-shot lead over Jasmine Shekar (71-71). Jasmine was lying tied second after the first day.
After her win in 2021, the 24-year-old Jaipur golfer Khushi did come close to a second success but ended runner-up last year at the DLF Golf and Country Club, Gurugram.
One of the players making a good upward move was the seasoned Gaurika Bishnoi, who began well by being 2-under on the front nine. She gave away those gains with two bogeys on the back nine for a card of 70. Gaurika (73-70) is now 3-over 143 and tied third with Vidhatri.
Vidhatri suffered back-to-back bogeys on the fourth and the fifth holes but made up with a birdie on the sixth. On the back nine, she dropped shots on the 12th and 15th and fell further back with a double bogey on the Par-4 16th. A closing birdie for a day’s card of 74 kept her within distance at 3-over 143 and two behind the leader Khushi.
Astha Madan (74-71) was fifth and another new pro, Anvitha Narender (74-72) was sixth.
Experienced Amandeep Drall, trying to recapture the form that put her on the Ladies European Tour and brought her within a whisker of the Hero Women’s Indian Open title two years ago, made a seven-shot improvement on her first-round 77. She is now tied seventh with amateur Mannat Brar (75-72) and Rhea Purvi Saravanan (73-74).
Sneha Singh, the 2023 Order of Merit winner, and Ananya Garg, who was tied for second after the first round, share the tenth spot. Ananya after a first round 71 dropped down with a second round of 77.
The lead group for the final round will see one-time winner Khushi Khanijau battle Jasmine Shekar, who is searching for her first win after numerous runner-up finishes and multiple winner Gaurika Bishnoi.
Vidhatri Urs finds herself in the second to last group alongside fellow debutants Anvitha Narender and Astha Madan. The cut fell at 155 and 21 players made the final round.
–IANS