Amateur Lavanya Gupta moved into the lead after the second round of the fifth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at DLF Golf & Country Club, edging past overnight leader Jasmine Shekar by one shot.
Lavanya carded an even-par 72 to move to 1-under 143 for 36 holes, while Jasmine slipped to second after a 2-over 74 left her at even-par 144.
Both players dropped key shots late in the round. Lavanya bogeyed the 14th and 17th but held on to her advantage, while Jasmine’s double bogey on the 15th proved costly. Lavanya’s round featured three birdies and three bogeys, while Jasmine mixed three birdies with three bogeys and the double.
Durga Nittur produced the best round of the day, a 2-under 70 that included five birdies against three bogeys, to climb into third place at 1-over 145.
Saanvi Somu (75-73) and Mannat Brar (72-76) are tied fourth, while Amandeep Drall (75-74) sits sixth.
Amateurs Mahreen Bhatia (78-72) and Aradhana Manikandan (78-72) share seventh with former Hero Order of Merit winner Sneha Singh (76-74). Khushi Khanijau (75-77) and Vidhatri Urs (74-78) complete the top 10 at 8-over 152.
Several leading names found the demanding DLF layout difficult. Neha Tripathi (77-78) and Tvesa Malik (78-77) are tied 14th, while Ridhima Dilawari (78-82) sits tied 24th.
A record field of 57 players are competing for the Rs.18 lakh purse this week. The cut fell at 168, with 41 players advancing to the final round.
With just one shot separating Lavanya, Jasmine and Durga, the final day promises a tight contest at one of the most demanding courses on the domestic circuit.
Photo – WGAI
