Veteran Smriti Mehra carded the only under-par score of one-under 70 on the second day to grab the lead in the Rs.5 lakh seventh leg of the Hero Women's Professional Golf Tour at the Poona Club Golf Course here on Wednesday.
Kolkata's Neha Tripathi is second with a total score of 147, four strokes behind Smriti with the final day's play left.
Smriti had an indifferent start as she carded a double bogey on the second hole. She carded two more bogeys on the fourth and eighth along with a birdie on the seventh. Her back nine started on a similar note with a bogey on the 10th. Thereafter, she turned things around, firing five birdies on the 11th, 12th, 15th, 17th and 18th, finishing with a total score of 143.
Second placed Neha carded two birdies on the seventh and ninth. However, two double bogeys on the first and 13th undid the good work and she had to be content with two-over 73.
Overnight leader Saaniya Sharma, Bengaluru's Sharmila Nicollet and Kapurthala's Gursimar Badwal are tied third with identical scores of 148.
Saaniya could not sustain her first round momentum and carded six-over 77. Her error prone round included five bogeys on the first, sixth, 11th, 13th and 18th and two double bogeys on the third and fifth. Her birdies on the second, 14th and 16th helped to contain the damage.
Sharmila's card included a double bogey on the second followed by a bogey on the third. She tried to stage a comeback with consecutive birdies on the 10th and 11th but bogeys on the 14th and 15th set her back again. She finished with 74.
Gursimar played an even par round of 71 which included three birdies on the third, ninth and 18th. She also carded a double bogey on the fourth along with a bogey on the 13th.
Order of Merit leader Vani Kapoor and local girl Shweta Galande are tied sixth with identical scores of 149. Delhi youngster Vani carded three birdies on the sixth, ninth and 18th against five bogeys. She also carded a triple bogey on the third hole to finish with a score of 76.
Pune's Shweta Galande carded four birdies against two bogeys with an equal number of double-bogey to finish the day with 73. She is followed by Kiran Matharu and Amandeep Drall, who are placed eighth and ninth respectively after the second round.
