Report by Anand Datla
February 05, 2015: Vani Kapoor is not one to be slighted easily. The feisty golfer from Bengaluru was dealt a blow, when the picturesque course at the Tollygunge Golf Club extracted a 74 from her in the first round. Vani avenged her pain in style by playing a stellar second round, needing just 67 to get up and down the course. That effort helped Vani take a stunning five shot lead over Neha Tripathi, who repeated 73 to finish day two at 6-over 146. (Latest Golf News)
By the fourth hole on the second day of the fourth leg on the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour event, Vani was staring at yet another dose of misery. She had just made two straight bogeys and slip back to one over for the day. But back to back birdies at the 7th and 8th helped Vani make the turn in the red, even though she was still lying 2-over midway through the second round.
Sailing on the energy from the front nine, Vani made birdies again at 10 and 11 to make it four in five holes. Having made her point, Vani settled into a calm rhythm making six consecutive pars to sign off with a 67. With only one more round left to play, Vani has a comfortable cushion to snatch yet another victory.
The winner at RCGC, Kiran Matharu slipped to third after making a disappointing 75 in the second round. Her card was tarnished by a double bogey at the par-4 first hole, besides five other bogeys. Sharmila Nicollet will spend her evening shrouded in gloom, after surrendering her overnight lead with a tame 77 in the second round.
Nicollet was already in trouble after making four bogeys in the first nine holes. Her situation was complicated further when she gave away double bogeys at the 10th and 17th to slip into T3 with Kiran. Veteran Smriti Mehra rounded off the top five ahead of the final round on Friday with a 74 that included two birdies.
