Sneha opens a big five-shot lead over Hitaashee in 4th leg of Hero WPGT

Khel Today Bureau 

Vizag: Sneha Singh continued her march in the fourth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the East Point Golf Club as she extended her lead to five shots with one more round to go. Sneha, winner of the Hero Order of Merit last season, carded 3-under 69 that included a superb hat-trick of birdies on the back nine as she recovered from two bogeys before that.

Sneha with 70-69 is now 5-under 139 and leads by five over arch-rival Hitaashee Bakshi (72-72) who had a par round for the second straight day. Hitaashee is even par for two days as Sneha is the only player with under par rounds on both days.

The day’s amateur star was Zara Anand (74-72), who with three birdies in last four holes rose to Tied third spot alongside Khushi Khanijau (72-74). They are both at 2-over 146.

Sneha, who started the day two shots ahead of Hitaashee, extended her lead early in the round. She birdied the second and the third to get off to a flying start. A bogey on the fourth was repaired with a birdie on the ninth.

On the back nine, Sneha seemed to have given away some ground with back-to-back bogeys on the 10^th and the 11^th. Yet she fought back strongly with a birdie on the 12^th and then three in a row from the 14^th to the 16^th. Despite closing with a bogey on the 18^th she was three-under for the day and once again it was the only under par round of the day. Hitaashee had three birdies against three bogeys.

Zara birdied the third but gave away a double bogey on the Par-4 sixth hole as she turned in 1-over. On the back nine she bogeyed the Par-5 14^th to go 2-over. However, she rallied with birdies on the 15^th, 16^th and the 18^th and had a bogey in between on the 17^th. She carded even par 72.

Khushi had three birdies against three bogeys.

Jasmine Shekar (74-75) and Ridhima Dilawari (73-77) are fifth and sixth, while four players, Disha Kavery (77-76), Yaalisai Verma (76-77), Rhea Jha (76-77) and Seher Atwal (76-77) are all tied for the seventh spot at 153.

The top 20 and ties made the cut in the Rs.10 lakh event and the cut fell at 159.

Tee times for the third and final round of the 4^th Leg of Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the East Point Golf Club in Vizag:

Tee 1

1. 8:00 am: Rhea Jha 153; Yaalisai Verma 153; Disha Kavery 153
2. 8:10 am: Ridhima Dilawari 150; Jasmine Shekar 149; Khushi Khanijau 146;
3. 8:20 am: Zara Anand (A) 146; Hitaashee Bakshi 144; Sneha Singh 139

Tee 10

4. 8:05 am: Seher Atwal 153; Gauri Karhade 155;
5. 8:15 am: Kriti Chowhan 155; Snigdha Goswami 155; Shweta Mansingh 156;
6. 8:25 am: Trimann Saluja 156; Rhea Purvi S. 157; Ananya Datar 158;
7. 8:35 am: Ananya Garg 158; Yashita Raghav 159; Sinjini Mukherjee (A) 159.