Avani stays in top-10, Varun makes cut at Australian Amateur Championship

Avani Prashanth (IND) during day four of the Australian Master of the Amateurs held at Southern Golf Club, Melbourne, Australia. 12/1/2024. Picture: Anthony Powter/Golffile

Khel Today Bureau 

New Delhi: Teenage Indian sensation Avani Prashanth maintained her momentum to stay inside the top-10 at the halfway stage of the prestigious Australian Amateur Championship in Melbourne. Avani carded a modest two-over 75 at the Yarra Yarra Golf Club to finish tied 10th after the second round even as another Indian amateur Heena Kang missed the cut after posting a disastrous seven-over 80 at the same venue.

After a couple of pars, Avani sank a birdie on the third hole. However, she dropped shots on the fourth and seventh holes to make the turn at one-over-par. The reigning Queen Sirikit Cup champion made a couple of pars before stumbling on a bogey on the 12th. The Ladies European Tour (LET) Access Series winner then dropped a bogey on the 15th but made amends with a birdie on the next hole.

Play was suspended at Yarra Yarra Golf Club at 09:05am and at Keysborough Golf Club at 09:29am due to unplayable greens. Play resumed after more than two hours.

Avani is lying five strokes behind joint leaders Amelia Harris of Australia and Japan’s Aina Fujimoto. While Amelia posted a one-under 72 at Keysborough Golf Club with the help of three birdies and two bogeys, Aina soared on an eagle ninth and three birdies for matching totals of four-under 142 at the Yarra Yarra layout.

Among Indian boys, Varun Muthappa was the only one to make the cut after submitting a card of one-over 73 for an overall tally of five-over 147 at the Keysborough course. Varun began with a brilliant eagle on the first hole and back-to-back birdies on the fourth and fifth holes. However, a bogey on the 15th and double bogeys on the sixth and 16th holes pushed him back. Sandeep Yadav (seven-over 149) and Rohit Narwal (11-over 153) missed the weekend rounds.