Avani shoots 67 to share lead with Tvesa Malik at LET’s Pre-Qualifier Asia

Khel Today Bureau 

Gurugram: Avani Prashanth turned in a brilliant bogey-free card of 5-under 67 to rise to the top of the leaderboard at the end of the second day of the Ladies European Tour Pre-Qualifier – Asia.

Avani, who was disappointed with her even par first round, stormed back with three birdies on the front nine and another two on the back stretch of the Jack Nicklaus designed Classic Golf and Country Club.

She was later joined by Tvesa Malik, who added a 3-under 69 to her first round 70 to claim a share of the lead at 5-under.

Singapore’s Sock Hwee Koh (72-70) was tied third with Ridhima Dilawari (72-70) at 3-under, while the first-round leader Pranavi Urs had a rough day with four bogeys against one lone birdie on the 17^th. She is now 1-under and fifth.

The top eighth and ties from a field of 29 players are assured of a spot in the Final Stage of the LET Qualifying School.

Ananya Datar (72-72) was sixth at even par, while Durga Nittur (70-75) was seventh as Seher Atwal (72-75) shared the eighth spot with Marin Mizuno of Japan, who had rounds of 73-74) at 3-over 147.

Avani was happy with her play and said, “I was disappointed on the first day when I could not get going on the greens and needed 32 putts. In the second round, I found 14 fairways and 12 of the 14 greens in regulation and needed 26 putts. I hit well yesterday also but putting made all the difference today.”

The teenaged Bengalurean added, “I am staying focussed as this can be a tricky golf course and there is one more round to go.”

Avani has an invite to the Mallorca Ladies Open next week, where she will be playing alongside Diksha Dagar. Avani will then go to Marrakech for the final stage. “I have a job to do tomorrow and then I will take it from there,” said Avani, who is still an amateur, but has already won once on the LET’s Access Series in Sweden. She also topped the Queen Sirikit Cup’s individual section and was fourth at the star-studded World Amateur Team Championship’s individual section.

Tvesa had a great start with four birdies on the front nine. She had back-to-back gains on the first and second holes and repeated it on the seventh and eighth. Two bogeys on the 13^th and 16^th pulled her back, but she closed with a birdie on the 18^th for a 69. “I am playing well and hitting nicely but putting needs some work. Today was better than the first round. One more round to go, so I am staying in the present,” said Tvesa, who is looking to regain the full status she had on the LET till 2022.

Pranavi was quite disappointed, saying, “Nothing worked for me today. Not hitting and not putting.” She added with a laugh, “Just when I thought I would have no birdies today, the putt dropped on the Par-3 17^th.

Ridhima, who began with bogeys on the second and third on the first day, had bogeys on first and second in the second round. She fought back well with six birdies, three each on the two nines, but also dropped shots on the 12^th and the 16^th.

Singapore’s Sock Hwee, who came for the Hero Women’s Indian last month, was steady with a bogey free 2-under 70. She parred her first 13 holes with numerous missed birdie putts, but finally two birdie putts dropped on the Par-5 14^th and Par-5 18^th.

The only other international in the Top-8 is Japan’s Marin Mizuno with 73-74.

This is the first pre-qualifier while a second one is scheduled to be held at the Golf Club Rotana and Samanah Golf by Nicklaus and Noria Golf Club from December 10-12.

That will be followed by the gruelling five-round 90-hole Qualifying School Final Stage to be held at the Al Maadan Golf Marrakech & Royal Club de Marrakech from December 16-20.