Nalini aims for fourth title

Delhi’s 22-year-old golfer Nalini Singh Siwach shot a second successive sub-par score of 70 to move into sole lead after two rounds in the 12th leg of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour being played at the Jaypee Greens Golf Club in Greater Noida. Though Siwach was tied for lead after the first round as well,at four-under 140 she has a one shot lead ahead of Sharmila Nicollet after the Bangalore golfer had another lukewarm start to her day. Sharmila shot 71 and is second at three-under 141. Her front-nine went without any birdies and she bogeyed the par-5 third as well. Her struggle continued for as late as 12 holes,with another dropped shot at the 10th hole but then she came back into contention with two back-to-back birdies on the 13th and 14th. Despite another birdie on the 16th,she couldn’t give a challenge to Siwach’s five birdies for the day.

Siwach,who is currently second on the order of merit of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour suffered another late flutter as she dropped a shot on the second last hole of the day after two birdies on the front-nine on par-4s 4th and 9th. However,her advantage was nullified as she took the turn because of two bogeys on the 7th and 8th. But steadier play on the back-nine gave her three more birdies on the 11th,14th and 15th. Siwach has three titles so far this season and will be hoping that she does enough to secure a fourth one when play resumes on the last day on Thursday.

Siwach and Nicollet are the only two women with sub-par scores as Smriti Mehra,who played good damage repair golf for a 71 on the first day,carded a 73 on Wednesday and is third at even par 144. Despite starting the day with two birdies on the 1st and 2nd hole,she had no other luck until the 11th hole but the dropped shots kept trickling in — four bogeys on the 5th,7th,10th and 13th.

With three bogeys and a double on the front-nine,the day could have been much worse for Japan’s Mika Ikemura,who is playing for the first time on the Indian domestic circuit,but a birdie-birdie finish was enough to lift her to the fourth place. Her day’s score of 74 has taken her to three-over 147 after two rounds. Starting with a double bogey,Shraddhanjali Singh finished at 76 and is at nine-over 153 in fifth place just ahead of Neha Tripathi (78).