Sharmila Nicollet joins Vani in the lead at KGA

July 16, 2015: Playing an inspired round of golf on her home course, Sharmila Nicollet fired a superb 4 under 68 to climb to the top of the leader board  and share the lead with Vani Kapoor at the end of day 2 at the KGA here on Thursday.

Both golfers ended Round 2 with an identical score of 145 to finish ahead of Panchkula’s Amandeep Drall, placed third with a total score of 149. The INR 7,00,000 event will culminate tomorrow.

Local sensation Sharmila Nicollet started the day in tied 8^th position, and quickly turned things around with a bogey-free round of 4 under 68. She carded birdies on the 2^nd, 6^th, 10^th and 11^th holes to move into joint lead and make a strong bid for her first title of the year.

Overnight leader Vani had an inconsistent start and played a birdie-less front nine with bogies on the 3^rd, 8^th and 9^th holes. The Hero Order of Merit leader however recovered soon, and a bogey-free back nine helped her stay in the hunt for her fifth title of the year. Vani carded birdies on the 10^th, 12^th and 15^th holes to finish the round with an even par score.

Rookie Amandeep Drall played a birdie-less front nine, with two bogies on the 2^nd and 8^th holes, along with a double bogey on the 7^th hole. However, she played a blemish-free back nine carding a lone birdie on the 10^th hole to end the day with a score of 3 over 75.

Kolkata’s Neha Tripathi, Delhi’s Ankita Tiwana and amateur Aditi Ashok are tied fourth with identical scores of 150. Neha played with intent, carding five birdies on the 1^st, 11^th, 13^th, 16^th and 17^th holes, the most by any golfer on the day. However, two bogies on the 5^th and 8^th holes, a double on the 18^th along with a triple on the 9th meant that she had to be content with a score 2 over 74.

Ankita had an indifferent round and dropped shots on the 1^st, 2^nd, 7^th and 18^th holes, while carding birdies on the 11^th and 12^th holes to return with a card of 2 over 74.

Aditi, who was tied second at the end of Day 1, could not sustain her momentum. She carded a lone birdie on the 14^th hole, along with three bogies on 3^rd, 6^th and 18^th holes with a double bogey on the 17th to finish the second round with a score of 4 over 76.

Delhi golfers Gauri Monga, Mehar Atwal and Kolkata’s Smriti Mehra with a total score of 152 are in tied seventh position after 36 holes.

Amateur Trisha Sunil is in 10th position with a score of 153.