Rookie Avani and Pranavi make cut at Australian Women’s Classic  

Pranavi Urs of India.

Khel Today Bureau

Coffs Harbour: Rookie Avani Prashanth and Pranavi Urs made the cut at the weather-hit Australian Women’s Classic while the more experienced Diksha Dagar fell short.

Avani, playing her maiden season added even par 70 to her first round 72 and was 2-over for 36 holes and was lying Tied-40^th. Pranavi Urs (73-71) made the cut on the line as Top-60 and ties will play the final round. Pranavi is Tied-60^th. Diksha Dagar, a two-time LET winner, carded 74-73 and missed the cut which fell at 4-over.

Sarah Kemp, who injured herself seriously in a freak golf cart accident and broke her tibia and fibula eight months ago, made a sensational comeback with a 62 (-8) and moved into a 2-shot lead with one round to go.

Even as an amateur Avani has had Top-10 finishes to her credit on LET event, including her home event, the Hero Women’s Indian Open, and she bogeyed twice on the front nine on the third and the ninth. She staged a good comeback on the back nine with birdies on the 11^th and 17^th.

Pranavi, winner of her home Tour’s Hero Order of Merit, had three birdies against four bogeys.

The 39-year-old, Kemp, who was out of action since August, is back from surgery and rallied with a round that had one bogey and nine birdies. Starting the day four shots behind the first day trio of leaders, Kemp bogeyed the par-4 second, but then played fantastic with nine birdies in 17 holes to move 10-under par for the tournament.

In a tie for second on eight-under par sit Belgium’s Manon De Roey (69-63) and Wales’ Darcey Harry (64-68). The former had a fantastic day at the office holing several long putts en route to a round of 63 (-7).

One shot back from the duo in a tie for fourth are Sweden’s Moa Folke and Thailand’s Cholcheva Wongras. At just 17-years-old, the latter is proving to be one of the stories of the week in Coffs Harbour.

Austria’s Emma Spitz, England’s Cara Gainer and Ireland’s Lauren Walsh share sixth spot on six-under par.

After 36 holes 76 players made the cut which fell at four-over-par.