Golf round-up: Mixed day for Aditi Ashok in US; Varma, Malik tied-9th in Indian Open

Indian golfer Aditi Ashok mixed three birdies with as many bogeys for an even par 71 to make the cut at tied-32nd position at the Ladies PGA Tour’s Volunteers of America Classic.

Aditi, who missed her home Open, the Hero Women’s Indian Open which she won in 2016, for this event on LPGA, twice birdied and gave away gains on the very next hole on second and third and then sixth and seventh.

Then she bogeyed 15th but birdied 17th to card 71.

Cheyenne Knight (66-67), Alena Sharp (68-65) and Brittany Altomare (67-66) share the lead.

Sharp closed with a bogey on the par-4 18th for a 65 while Altomare had a bogey free 66 to reach nine-under 133 at Old American Golf Club.

Varma, Malik climb leaderboard

In the Women’s Hero Indian Open in Gurugram, Anika Varma turned on some great play to card five-under 67. Now based in the United States, Anika (76, 72, 67) was the best ranked Indian in the field at Tied-ninth along with Tvesa Malik (72, 72, 71), at one-under par 215, seven shots behind leader Christine Wolf.

Varma, till recently India’s top ranked junior and a qualifier in the US Girls Championship earlier in the year, hit six birdies and looked poised to bring in a bogey-free card till she dropped a shot on the intimidating par-4 17th hole. That was her only blemish of the day as she showed great composure and calm.

DLF regular Vani Kapoor was tied 13th at level par 216 (74, 70,72) following a steady round, in the course of which she swapped two bogeys for as many birdies, while Amandeep Drall could not build on her momentum of Friday and carded a 3-over 75 that dropped her into a tie for 27th place at 3-over 219. Astha Madan was next best at 4-over 220 (73, 75, 72) with her first par round of the week.

Diksha Dagar too left shots out on the course and is now tied 36th at 5-over 221 (72, 73, 76) and Gaurika Bishnoi, the joint best Indian finisher with Tvesa last year, was T42 at 6-over 222 (73, 74, 75).

Lahiri misses cut

Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri’s disappointing run continued as he shot a disappointing two-over 73 in the second round to miss the cut at the the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas, USA.

Lahiri, thus, missed his third cut in four starts of the new 2019-20 season.

Lahiri, who shot two-under 69 in the opening round, ended with two-over 73 and at even par for 36 holes.

The Indian was way below the cut line, which fell at four-under.

It was a mixed day in office for Koepka brothers on Friday as one missed the cut while another made it.

World no.1 Brooks Koepka, coming after stem cell treatment, missed the cut after rounds of 70-71, but his younger brother Chase, playing only his fourth PGA Tour event, made the weekend with 66-69.

There was a four-way tie for the lead as Lucas Glover, Patrick Cantlay, Brian Stuard, and Kevin Na are tied at 12-under with Matt Jones in fifth spot at 11-under.

Overnight leader Nick Taylor, Beau Hossler, Lanto Griffin, Sam Ryder and Scott Stallings are tied for sixth spot at 10-under.

Lahiri hit 11 of 18 greens in regulation during his second round here, finishing at even for the tournament.

Lahiri finished his day tied for 117th at even par.

Chawrasia finds his rhythm

In Madrid, India’s SSP Chawrasia shot an even par 71 in the second round to make the cut, but it was curtains for compatriot Gaganjeet Bhullar at the Open de Espana golf tournament.

Chawrasi finally ended his miserable run of seven missed cuts on Friday as he added an even par 71 to his first round 70 to get to one-under 141 to be placed tied-44th.

While Chawrasia got into the final two rounds, Bhullar, who was in the top-10 after first round, crashed out with a disappointing seven-over 78 that had five bogeys and one double.

It was a horrific second round for Bhullar after being four-under following the first round.

Rafa Cabrera Bello and Adri Arnaus lead a Spanish quartet at the top of the leaderboard at the halfway stage at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.

(With PTI inputs)