Smriti opens up 2-shot lead

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Smriti Mehra

On a tough day, Smriti Mehra carded a two-over 74 to take a two-shot lead at the half-way stage of the sixth leg of the Hero-WGAI Women’s Pro Tour golf tournament at the Golden Greens in Gurgaon on Wednesday.

While others struggled in difficult scoring conditions due to hot weather, Smriti put herself in line for a third title this season, which as a result will also extend her lead in the Order of Merit.
Smriti, who virtually blew away the title last week with a quadruple bogey in the closing leg of the fifth leg of the Tour, was at seven-over 151, but two shots clear of last week’s winner Nalini Singh Siwach (77). After the play of 36-hole, the 17-year-old Nalini was at 153.
Saaniya Sharma (76) was futher two shots adrift at 155, while Neha Tripathi (80) was lying fourth at 157. Rookie Vani Kapoor, who struggled on the first day, was better off on Day 2 with a round of 75, way better than her first round 83, to be fifth at 158. Preetinder Kaur (82) completed the top-6 at 163.
Using all her experience, Smriti managed two birdies — one each on the ninth and 18th — against bogeys on the first, third, fifth and 14th holes.
Nalini looked to have found a rhythm on the front nine with one birdie against two bogeys, but she had a difficult time on the back nine, where she bogeyed four times only to end without any birdie.
Saaniya had one birdie and five bogeys, while Neha started with a triple bogey before she found two more bogeys on the second and third. She managed a lone birdie on the ninth.
On her back nine, she double bogeyed the 13th and 18th.
Vani had three bogeys on the front nine. She was steady in the home stretch, as she parred nine consecutive.
Five different players have won titles in the previous five legs of the WGAI Tour, with Smriti being the only multiple winner.