Smriti sets new Tour record but Kiran retains lead

Gurgaon, March 12: Veteran Smriti Mehra rewrote Hero Women's Professional Golf Tour's record by registering the lowest single round score of seven-under 65, but Kiran Matharu fired 66 in the second round to retain the lead in the eighth leg here on Thursday.

Following Kiran by a single shot deficit was veteran golfer Smriti, who finished with a total score of 134 at the Classic Golf & Country Club.

Smriti bettered her own record of six-under 64 at the par-70 Clover Greens course, Hosur in Tamil Nadu in 2013. She also established a new course record by a lady golfer at the Gurgaon-based course. 

The other highlight of an exciting day was an eagle by Saaniya Sharma on the 14th hole.

Kiran had a scratchy start, carding a bogey on the first hole. However, she made amends by carding four birdies on the third, fourth, fifth and ninth holes in her front nine. 

She retained the momentum on her back nine, firing four consecutive birdies on the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th, while dropping just one shot on the 16th. She finished with a total score of 133 after 36 holes. 

Smriti's round of seven-under 65 consisted of a single bogey on the second along with eight birdies on the eightrd, sixth, eighth, ninth, 10th, 11th, 14th and 18th. She lags behind leader Kiran by a stroke and would be keen to overtake her for a hat-trick victory in the final round on Friday.

Hero Order of Merit leader Vani Kapoor made a strong comeback in the second round, after her even-par effort on the first day. She shot 66 with birdies on the fourth, seventh, eighth, ninth, 11th, 12th and 15th. 

The only blemish on her scorecard was a bogey on the 17th. She is placed third with a total score of 138. 

Noida’s Vaishavi Sinha is placed fourth with a total score of 139. She carded six birdies against a bogey on the first and a double bogey on the 17th.

Pune’s Shweta Galande is fifth with a total score of 140. She carded 70. Kolkata’s Neha Tripathi is placed sixth with a total score of 142, followed by Panchkula’s Amandeep Drall and Priya Puri, who are tied seventh with identical totals of 146.